Shloka 15
Chapter 40: Śiva in Kirāta Disguise Tests Arjuna
Mūka-vadha and the Contest
भव उवाच ददामि ते<स्त्रं दयितमहं पाशुपतं विभो । समर्थो धारणे मोक्षे संहारे चासि पाण्डव,महादेवजीने कहा--पराक्रमशाली पाण्डुकुमार! मैं अपना परम प्रिय पाशुपतास्त्र तुम्हें प्रदान करता हूँ। तुम इसके धारण, प्रयोग और उपसंहारमें समर्थ हो
bhava uvāca—dadāmi te ’stram dayitam ahaṃ pāśupataṃ vibho | samartho dhāraṇe mokṣe saṃhāre cāsi pāṇḍava ||
Bhava said: “O mighty one, I grant you my most cherished weapon—the Pāśupata. O Pāṇḍava, you are capable of bearing it, releasing it in use, and withdrawing it again.” The gift underscores that supreme power is entrusted only to one judged fit in discipline and restraint, not merely in strength.
भव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary power must be paired with mastery and restraint: the worthy recipient is one who can not only wield a weapon but also control, recall, and limit its use according to dharma.
Śiva (Bhava), pleased with the Pāṇḍava’s fitness, grants him the supreme Pāśupata weapon and affirms his competence to bear it, deploy it, and withdraw it—marking a decisive empowerment for future conflicts.