Shloka 14
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
ततो मामब्रवीत् प्रीतस्तप आतिष्ठ भारत । तपस्वी नचिरेण त्वं द्रक्ष्स्से विबुधाधिपम्
tato mām abravīt prītas tapa ātiṣṭha bhārata | tapasvī na cireṇa tvaṁ drakṣyase vibudhādhipam ||
Then, pleased, he said to me: “O Bhārata, take refuge in austerity—undertake tapas. When you are steadfast in ascetic practice, before long you will behold the lord of the gods, Indra.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that disciplined austerity (tapas)—steadfast self-restraint and spiritual effort—is a legitimate dharmic means to gain divine vision and empowerment, implying that inner purification precedes higher attainments.
Arjuna reports that someone, pleased with him, instructs him to undertake tapas; by doing so, Arjuna is promised a near-future audience with Indra, the king of the gods.