Shloka 27
Chapter 40: Śiva in Kirāta Disguise Tests Arjuna
Mūka-vadha and the Contest
ततः प्रभुस्त्रेदिवनिवासिनां वशी महामतिर्गिरिश उमापति: शिव: । धनुर्महद् देतिजपिशाचसूदनं ददौ भव: पुरुषवराय गाण्डिवम्,तत्पश्चात् देवताओंके स्वामी, जितेन्द्रिय एवं परम बुद्धिमान् कैलासवासी उमावल्लभ भगवान् शिवने पुरुषप्रवर अर्जुनको वह महान् गाण्डीवधनुष दे दिया, जो दैत्यों और पिशाचोंका संहार करनेवाला था
tataḥ prabhus tredivanivāsināṁ vaśī mahāmatir giriśa umāpatiḥ śivaḥ | dhanur mahad daitijapiśācasūdanaṁ dadau bhavaḥ puruṣavarāya gāṇḍīvam ||
Después, el poderoso Señor—dominador de los moradores de los tres mundos, de gran mente, Girisha, el Señor de la Montaña, esposo de Umā, Śiva—otorgó a Arjuna, el más excelso de los hombres, el gran arco Gāṇḍīva, célebre por aniquilar a daityas y piśācas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and weaponry are not self-justifying; they become legitimate when granted (or sanctioned) for dharmic ends and entrusted to a disciplined, worthy person. The verse frames divine gifts as responsibilities aimed at protecting the world from destructive forces.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śiva—described with multiple epithets—bestows the famed bow Gāṇḍīva upon Arjuna, emphasizing its formidable, demon- and spirit-slaying potency and marking Arjuna’s divine empowerment for forthcoming trials.