Shloka 4
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
सम्यग वा ते गृहीतानि कच्चिदस्त्राणि पाण्डव । कच्चित् सुराधिप: प्रीतो रुद्रो वास्त्राण्यदात् तव,'पाण्डुनन्दन! क्या तुमने सभी अस्त्र अच्छी तरह सीख लिये? क्या देवराज इन्द्र अथवा भगवान् रुद्रने प्रसन्न होकर तुम्हें अस्त्र प्रदान किये हैं?
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
samyag vā te gṛhītāni kaccid astrāṇi pāṇḍava |
kaccit surādhipaḥ prīto rudro vā astrāṇy adāt tava ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Pāṇḍava, have you truly mastered the weapons you received? And has the lord of the gods—Indra—or else Rudra, being pleased with you, granted you divine missiles?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power (astrāṇi) must be rightly acquired and mastered (samyak gṛhītāni), and its legitimate use depends on divine and ethical sanction—symbolized by Indra and Rudra granting weapons only when pleased (prītaḥ).
Vaiśampāyana reports an inquiry addressed to the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna): whether he has properly learned the weapons and whether Indra or Rudra, satisfied with him, has bestowed divine missiles—signaling readiness for the coming conflict.