Shloka 31
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
स्थिरो भवस्व मोक्ष्यामि सायकानशनीनिव । घटस्व परया शक््त्या मुज्च त्वमपि सायकान्,धैर्यपूर्वक सामने खड़े रहो, मैं वज़के समान भयानक बाण छोड़ूँगा। तुम भी अपनी पूरी शक्ति लगाकर मुझे जीतनेका प्रयास करो। मेरे ऊपर अपने बाण छोड़ो
sthiro bhavasva mokṣyāmi sāyakān aśanīn iva | ghaṭasva parayā śaktyā muñca tvam api sāyakān ||
The Kirāta said: “Stand firm. I shall release arrows like thunderbolts. Strive with your utmost power to overcome me; you too, loose your shafts against me.”
किरयात उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes steadiness under pressure and wholehearted effort in the face of a test. Ethically, it frames combat not as reckless violence but as a disciplined ordeal where courage, resolve, and skill must be brought forth without hesitation.
The Kirāta confronts his opponent and issues a direct challenge: remain steadfast while he unleashes fierce arrows, and respond with full strength by shooting back. It marks an escalation into a proving contest of valor and endurance.