Shloka 61
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
तत एनं महादेव: पीड्य गात्रै: सुपीडितम् । तेजसा व्यक्रमद् रोषाच्चेतस्तस्य विमोहयन्,तदनन्तर! महादेवजीने अपने अंगोंसे दबाकर अर्जुनको अच्छी तरह पीड़ा दी और उनके चित्तको मूर्च्छित-सा करते हुए उन्होंने तेज तथा रोषसे उनके ऊपर अपना पराक्रम प्रकट किया
tata enaṃ mahādevaḥ pīḍya gātraiḥ supīḍitam | tejasā vyakramad roṣāc cetas tasya vimohayan ||
Then Mahādeva pressed him down with his limbs, crushing him severely. Overwhelming Arjuna’s mind into a swoon-like stupor, the great god displayed his might through blazing energy and fierce wrath.
किरयात उवाच
Educational Q&A
True strength is ethically grounded: divine power humbles the warrior’s ego and redirects him toward disciplined devotion (tapas and bhakti), showing that victory and boons come through humility and inner steadiness, not mere force.
Mahādeva (Śiva), in the course of testing Arjuna, physically overpowers him—pressing him down and stunning his mind—thereby revealing superior divine prowess and pushing Arjuna toward surrender and recognition of the god’s supremacy.