Shloka 46
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
ततस्तदू धनुरादाय तूणौ चाक्षय्यसायकौ । प्रादान्ममैव भगवान् धारयस्वेति चाब्रवीत्
tatas tadū dhanur ādāya tūṇau cākṣayyasāyakau | prādān mamaiva bhagavān dhārayasveti cābravīt | amaratvam apahāya brūhi yat te manogatam |
ແລ້ວພຣະອົງຜູ້ມີພຣະພາກ (ພຣະສິວະ) ໄດ້ຍົກຄັນທະນູນັ້ນ ແລະກະຕ່າລູກສອນສອງໃບທີ່ເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍລູກສອນບໍ່ຮູ້ຈົບ ແລ້ວມອບໃຫ້ຂ້ອຍ ພ້ອມກ່າວວ່າ: «ຈົ່ງຖືມັນໄວ້.» ພຣະອົງຍັງກ່າວຕໍ່ວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ເຜົາຜານສັດຕູ, ຂ້ອຍພໍໃຈໃນເຈົ້າ. ຈົ່ງເວົ້າ—ຂ້ອຍຈະສຳເລັດການໃດໃຫ້ເຈົ້າ? ວິລະຊົນ, ບອກຄວາມປາດຖະໜາໃນໃຈເຈົ້າ; ຂ້ອຍຈະເຮັດໃຫ້ສຳເລັດ—ເວັ້ນແຕ່ຄວາມອະມະຕະ.»
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Divine favor follows disciplined effort and sincerity, yet even divine boons are bounded by cosmic order: immortality is withheld, underscoring that dharma operates within limits and that a seeker should ask for purposeful, righteous aims rather than absolute escape from mortality.
After testing and then being satisfied with Arjuna, Śiva reveals his favor by returning/gifting Arjuna’s bow and granting him two quivers with inexhaustible arrows, inviting Arjuna to state a wish—explicitly excluding the request for immortality.