Shloka 8
Chapter 40: Śiva in Kirāta Disguise Tests Arjuna
Mūka-vadha and the Contest
अजुन उवाच भगवन् ददासि चेन्महां काम प्रीत्या वृषध्वज । कामये दिव्यमस्त्रं तद् घोरं पाशुपतं प्रभो,अर्जुन बोले--भगवन्! वृषध्वज! यदि आप प्रसन्नतापूर्वक मुझे इच्छानुसार वर देते हैं तो प्रभो! मैं उस भयंकर दिव्यास्त्र पाशुपतको प्राप्त करना चाहता हूँ
arjuna uvāca bhagavan dadāsi cen mahān kāmaṁ prītyā vṛṣadhvaja | kāmaye divyam astraṁ tad ghoraṁ pāśupataṁ prabho ||
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, wahai Pemilik panji bergambar lembu (Śiva)! Jika karena kemurahan hati Engkau berkenan menganugerahkan kepadaku karunia sesuai kehendakku, maka, wahai Tuan, aku memohon senjata ilahi yang dahsyat itu—Pāśupata.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when seeking power, the request is framed through reverence and rightful purpose: Arjuna approaches Śiva with humility and asks for a divine weapon not for vanity but for a dharmic struggle. The verse highlights that extraordinary power should be sought through discipline, devotion, and legitimate need.
In the Vana Parva episode where Arjuna encounters Śiva, Arjuna addresses him as Vṛṣadhvaja and, upon being offered a boon, explicitly asks for the fearsome Pāśupata—an unparalleled divine weapon—anticipating the coming conflict and the need to protect dharma.