Shloka 47
Arjuna’s Mantra-Empowerment and the Pāṇḍavas’ Separation (Śiva-rūpa through Mantra)
अर्जुन उवाच । राज्यार्थं न च मुक्त्यर्थ किमर्थं भाषसे त्विदम् । व्यासस्य वचनेनैव क्रियते तप ईदृशम्
arjuna uvāca | rājyārthaṃ na ca muktyartha kimarthaṃ bhāṣase tvidam | vyāsasya vacanenaiva kriyate tapa īdṛśam
Arjuna said: “This austerity is not undertaken for the sake of a kingdom, nor for liberation—so why do you speak of it in that way? Such tapas is performed solely in obedience to Vyāsa’s command.”
Arjuna
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse highlights intention (bhāva) in spiritual practice: tapas may be undertaken not for worldly gain (rājya) or even personal liberation (mokṣa), but out of dharma and obedience to the guru’s injunction—an attitude aligned with Shaiva discipline where right motive purifies the seeker.
Though the verse speaks about tapas, it supports a key Shaiva principle: worship and austerity become fruitful when performed with humility and adherence to scriptural/guru guidance, which is the proper approach to Saguna Shiva worship (including Linga-upāsanā) rather than treating devotion as a transaction for results.
The takeaway is disciplined tapas performed under authoritative instruction (guru-ājñā/śāstra-vacana). Practically, this can be expressed as regulated japa (e.g., Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), vrata, and other observances done with obedience and purity of intent rather than result-seeking.