Shloka 216
तच्च पाशुपतं घोरें प्रतिज्ञायाश्व॒ पारणम् । उनके इस अभिप्रायको जानकर भगवान् शंकरने प्रसन्न हो वरदानके रूपमें वह घोर पाशुपत अस्त्र, जो उनकी प्रतिज्ञाकी पूर्ति करानेवाला था, दे दिया
tac ca pāśupataṃ ghore pratijñāyāś ca pāraṇam |
Sañjaya said: And that dreadful Pāśupata weapon—capable of bringing his solemn vow to fulfillment—was granted to him by Lord Śaṅkara, who, understanding his intention, became pleased and bestowed it as a boon.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that formidable power (like the Pāśupata astra) is ethically conditioned: it is granted through divine sanction in response to intention, discipline, and the seriousness of a vow, implying that such power should serve a vowed duty rather than personal rage or ambition.
Sañjaya narrates that Lord Śiva (Śaṅkara), pleased after understanding the seeker’s purpose, bestows the dreadful Pāśupata weapon as a boon—an instrument specifically described as enabling the fulfillment of a prior pledge.