Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
भूय एव महाराज सविशेषमहं ततः । अस्त्रपूगेन महता रणे भूतमवाकिरम्,महाराज! तब मैंने पुनः विशेष प्रयत्न करके रणभूमिमें किरातरूपधारी उस अद्भुत पुरुषपर महान् अस्त्रसमूहकी वर्षा की
bhūya eva mahārāja saviśeṣam ahaṃ tataḥ | astrapūgena mahatā raṇe bhūtam avākiram ||
अर्जुन म्हणाला—महाराज! मग मी विशेष प्रयत्न करून रणभूमीत किरात-रूप धारण केलेल्या त्या अद्भुत पुरुषावर महान अस्त्रसमूहाचा वर्षाव केला।
अजुन उवाच
The verse highlights steadfast effort and the kṣatriya ideal of confronting a challenge directly; even when facing an extraordinary opponent, Arjuna renews his exertion rather than yielding to fear or confusion.
Arjuna recounts to the king that he again intensified his attack, raining a large barrage of weapons upon the marvelous Kirāta-formed figure on the battlefield—part of the famed encounter where Śiva tests Arjuna in disguise.