Shloka 7
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रीतुं विस्तरेण महाद्युते । यथा तुष्टो महादेवो देवराजस्तथानघ
etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ vistareṇa mahādyute | yathā tuṣṭo mahādevo devarājas tathānagha ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O mighty one, I wish to hear all this in full detail—how Mahādeva and likewise the king of the gods became pleased with you, O sinless subduer of foes.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that divine favor is sought to be understood through the hero’s conduct: the narrative frames Arjuna as “blameless” and “subduer of foes,” implying that disciplined virtue and right action can lead to the gods’ satisfaction, which in epic ethics legitimizes extraordinary power and success.
Vaiśaṃpāyana signals a transition into a fuller account: he (or the listener within the frame) requests a detailed narration of how Śiva (Mahādeva) and Indra (Devarāja) became pleased with the hero (contextually Arjuna), setting up the ensuing description of divine encounters and the reasons for their approval.