Shloka 66
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
तच्च माल्यं तदा पार्थ: किरातशिरसि स्थितम् | अपश्यत् पाण्डवश्रेष्ठो हर्षेण प्रकृतिं गत:,कुन्तीकुमारने जो माला पार्थिव शिवपर चढ़ायी थी, वह उन्हें किरातके मस्तकपर पड़ी दिखायी दी। यह देखकर पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ अर्जुन हर्षसे उललसित हो अपने आपेमें आ गये
tac ca mālyaṁ tadā pārthaḥ kirātaśirasi sthitam | apaśyat pāṇḍavaśreṣṭho harṣeṇa prakṛtiṁ gataḥ ||
Then Pārtha (Arjuna) saw that very garland—earlier offered to Śiva—resting upon the Kirāta’s head. At the sight, the best of the Pāṇḍavas was filled with joy and regained his composure, recognizing the divine sign behind the hunter’s guise.
किरयात उवाच
Educational Q&A
A sincere offering and steadfast effort are met with divine grace; when a clear sign of the divine appears, one should abandon pride and agitation, regain inner balance, and respond with reverence and discernment.
Arjuna notices that the garland he had offered to Śiva is now on the Kirāta’s head, revealing that the hunter is no ordinary man but a divine presence; this realization fills him with joy and restores his composure.