Shloka 56
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
दुरासदं दुष्प्रसहं सुरदानवराक्षसै: । अनुज्ञातस्त्वहं तेन तत्रैव समुपाविशम्
durāsadaṁ duṣprasahaṁ suradānavarākṣasaiḥ | anujñātas tv ahaṁ tena tatraiva samupāviśam |
Arjuna said: “That (divine power/weapon) is exceedingly hard to approach and impossible to withstand—even for the gods, the Dānavas, and the Rākṣasas. Its force is extremely difficult for anyone to endure. Then, having received Lord Śiva’s permission, I sat down right there; and before my very eyes he vanished from sight.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even supreme power is not merely seized by strength; it is approached through discipline and humility, and is received only with divine sanction. The verse underscores restraint: what is irresistible to all beings must be handled under dharmic permission, not ego.
Arjuna describes the overwhelming, unendurable nature of the divine boon/weapon associated with Śiva. After Śiva grants him leave, Arjuna sits as instructed, and Śiva disappears from view.