Shloka 66
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
एवमुक््त्वा महात्मानं भगवानात्मनस्तनुम् । आविवेश ददौ चास्मै विमलं खड्गमुत्तमम्
evam uktvā mahātmānaṃ bhagavān ātmanas tanum | āviveśa dadau cāsmai vimalaṃ khaḍgam uttamam ||
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus to that great-souled one, the Blessed Lord entered into his own embodied form; and he also bestowed upon him a spotless, excellent sword. In the grim moral atmosphere of the Sauptika episode—where night-violence and retribution dominate—the gift of a pure weapon underscores both divine sanction and the heavy ethical burden that accompanies power used in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and divine favor (symbolized by a flawless sword) do not remove moral responsibility; in a war-torn setting, the purity of a weapon contrasts with the impurity that can arise from its use, highlighting the ethical weight of violent action.
After addressing a great-souled figure, the divine speaker withdraws/enters into his own embodied form and grants the recipient an excellent, spotless sword—an act that signals empowerment and sanction within the tense events of the Sauptika (night-raid) sequence.