Shloka 21
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
ततो<हं धनुरादाय तथाक्षय्ये महेषुधी । अताडयं शरेणाथ तद् भूतं लोमहर्षणम्
tato'haṃ dhanur ādāya tathākṣayye maheṣudhī | atāḍayaṃ śareṇātha tad bhūtaṃ lomaharṣaṇam ||
Arjuna dijo: «Entonces tomé mi arco, y asimismo mis dos grandes aljabas inagotables. Acto seguido, herí con una flecha a aquel ser que erizaba los cabellos».
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights decisive courage and preparedness: when confronted by a frightening, possibly supernatural threat, Arjuna does not panic but acts with disciplined readiness, embodying the protective responsibility associated with kṣatriya-dharma.
Arjuna narrates that he immediately arms himself—taking up his bow and his two inexhaustible quivers—and then shoots an arrow at a terrifying being, initiating a direct response to the danger.