Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
यद् चुगान्ते पशुपति: सर्वभूतानि संहरन् । प्रयुड्धक्ते पुरुषव्याघ्र तदिदं मयि वर्तते,'पुरुषसिंह! प्रलयकालमें समस्त प्राणियोंका संहार करते समय भगवान् पशुपति जिस अस्त्रका प्रयोग करते हैं, वही यह मेरे पास विद्यमान है
yad cūgānte paśupatiḥ sarvabhūtāni saṁharan | prayuddhakte puruṣavyāghra tad idaṁ mayi vartate ||
युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—हे पुरुषव्याघ्रा! युगांतकाळी सर्व भूतांचे संहार करताना भगवान पशुपती जे अस्त्र वापरतात, तेच अस्त्र माझ्याकडे विद्यमान आहे।
युधिछिर उवाच
The verse highlights that ultimate power—symbolized by Śiva’s pralaya-weapon—demands ethical restraint. Possessing a world-ending capability is not a license for excess; it intensifies the bearer’s responsibility to act within dharma and with measured judgment.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a foremost warrior (“tiger among men”) and declares that he possesses a formidable divine weapon associated with Paśupati (Śiva), the one used at cosmic dissolution. The statement functions as a revelation of capability and a warning about the gravity of escalating conflict.