Shloka 5
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
यथा दृष्टश्न॒ ते शक्रो भगवान् वा पिनाकधृक् । यथैवास्त्राण्यवाप्तानि यथैवाराधितश्ष ते
yathā dṛṣṭas tvaṁ te śakro bhagavān vā pinākadhṛk | yathaivāstrāṇy avāptāni yathaivārādhitaś ca te ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô dompteur d’ennemis, raconte tout exactement comme cela s’est passé : comment tu as contemplé Śakra (Indra), ou comment tu as vu le Seigneur bienheureux porteur de Pināka (Śiva) ; comment tu as obtenu les armes célestes ; et comment tes actes de culte et de propitiation divine ont été menés à bien. Et puisque Indra vient de déclarer : “Arjuna a accompli une œuvre qui m’est très chère”, quelle fut donc cette tâche aimée que tu as accomplie ?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that extraordinary power (divine weapons and victories) is grounded in disciplined devotion and rightful conduct: one gains divine support through proper worship, austerity, and fulfilling duties that serve a higher cosmic order rather than personal ambition.
Vaiśampāyana prompts a detailed account of Arjuna’s divine encounters—his visions of Indra and Śiva, his acquisition of celestial weapons, and the successful completion of his acts of propitiation—then asks specifically what ‘beloved task’ of Indra Arjuna has just accomplished.