Shloka 22
Chapter 40: Śiva in Kirāta Disguise Tests Arjuna
Mūka-vadha and the Contest
ततश्नचाल पृथिवी सपर्वतवनद्रुमा | ससागरवनोद्देशा सग्रामनगराकरा,अर्जुनके पाशुपतास्त्र ग्रहण करते ही पर्वत, वन, वृक्ष, समुद्र, वनस्थली, ग्राम, नगर तथा आबकरों (खानों) सहित सारी पृथ्वी काँप उठी
tataś cacāla pṛthivī sa-parvata-vana-drumā | sa-sāgara-vanoddeśā sa-grāma-nagarākarā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then the earth trembled—together with its mountains, forests, and trees; with its seas and woodland tracts; with its villages, cities, and mines. This cosmic shaking marked the extraordinary, divinely sanctioned moment when Arjuna received the Pāśupata weapon.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When divine power is granted, nature itself is portrayed as responding; the epic implies that such power is not merely technical prowess but a moral burden. The tremor functions as a warning-sign: weapons of extraordinary force must be governed by dharma, self-control, and right purpose.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a portent: the entire earth—mountains, forests, seas, settlements, and mines—trembles. In context, this accompanies Arjuna’s obtaining of the Pāśupata weapon, emphasizing the moment’s cosmic significance.