Shloka 103
Arjuna’s Account of Tapas and the Kirāta Test; Revelation of Maheśvara and the Grant of the Pāśupata-Astra
तामिस्र॑ प्रथमं पक्षं वीतशोकभयो वस । नरेश्वर! अब पुनः तुम यहाँसे राजर्षि आर्डिषेणके आश्रमपर जाकर कृष्णपक्षभर शोक और भयसे रहित होकर रहो
tāmisraṃ prathamaṃ pakṣaṃ vītaśokabhayo vasa | nareśvara! adya punaḥ tvaṃ ihāto rājarṣi-ārdiṣeṇakasya āśramam upetya kṛṣṇapakṣaṃ bharaṃ śoka-bhaya-rahitaḥ san vasa ||
Dhanada said: “O king, dwell first through the dark fortnight, free from grief and fear. Then, O lord of men, go from here to the hermitage of the royal sage Ārdiṣeṇaka, and remain there for the entire dark fortnight, again without sorrow or fear.”
धनद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes disciplined inner steadiness: one should deliberately cultivate freedom from grief and fear, and follow wise guidance by relocating to a conducive place (a hermitage) and observing time-bound practice through the lunar fortnight.
Dhanada addresses a king and instructs him on where and how long to stay: first to remain through a fortnight in a state free of sorrow and fear, and then to go to the hermitage of the royal sage Ārdiṣeṇaka and stay there through the dark fortnight, maintaining the same fearless composure.