Mahabharata 3.39.37 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 37
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
मुहूर्त शरवर्ष तत् प्रतिगृह्ा पिनाकधृक् । अक्षतेन शरीरेण तस्थौ गिरिरिवाचल:
muhūrtaṃ śaravarṣaṃ tat pratigṛhya pinākadhṛk | akṣatena śarīreṇa tasthau girir ivācalaḥ ||
Für einen kurzen Augenblick nahm der Träger der Pināka jenen ganzen Pfeilhagel in sich auf. Sein Leib blieb völlig unverletzt, und er stand unbewegt—fest wie ein Berg—und zeigte unbesiegbare Gelassenheit und vollkommene Meisterschaft mitten im Toben der Gewalt.
किरयात उवाच
Educational Q&A
True power is shown not merely by striking back but by unshaken steadiness under attack. The verse highlights divine self-mastery—remaining unharmed and unmoved—implying that spiritual strength and composure surpass outward violence.
In the Kirātārjunīya episode, the Kirāta (Śiva in disguise) receives a fierce rain of arrows without injury. He stands motionless like a mountain, demonstrating his superiority and testing the opponent’s resolve.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.