Shloka 49
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
प्रगृह्या थ धनुष्कोट्या ज्यापाशेनावकृष्य च | मुष्टिभिश्चापि हतवान् वज्रकल्पैर्महाद्युति:,ऐसा विचारकर महातेजस्वी अर्जुनने किरातको अपने धनुषकी कोटिसे पकड़कर उसकी प्रत्यंचामें उसके शरीरको फँसाकर खींचा और वज्रके समान दुः:सह मुष्टिप्रहारसे पीड़ित करना प्रारम्भ किया
pragṛhyātha dhanuṣkoṭyā jyāpāśenāvakṛṣya ca | muṣṭibhiścāpi hatavān vajrakalpair mahādyutiḥ ||
Having seized him by the tip of his bow and, with the bowstring like a noose, dragged him close, the radiant hero began to strike him with fists as hard as thunderbolts. The scene underscores Arjuna’s fierce resolve and disciplined prowess in combat, even as the encounter tests the boundaries between righteous force and uncontrolled anger.
किरयात उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined strength: a warrior’s power must be effective yet governed by purpose. In the broader Kirāta episode, Arjuna’s prowess is tested so that his valor is refined into fitness for divine aid—strength aligned with dharma rather than mere aggression.
In the confrontation with the Kirāta (hunter), Arjuna closes in physically: he grips the opponent using the bow’s end and pulls him with the bowstring like a noose, then delivers heavy, thunderbolt-like punches, escalating the struggle from weapons to close combat.