Shloka 243
धर्मद्वारबहुत्वविमर्शः — Reflection on the Many ‘Doors’ of Dharma (Śānti-parva 342)
आत्मानं नार्चयेत् कश्चिदिति मे भावितात्मन: । यदि मैं वरदाता भगवान् शिवकी पूजा न करूँ तो दूसरा कोई भी उन आत्मरूप शंकरका पूजन नहीं करेगा, ऐसी मेरी धारणा है
ātmānaṃ nārcayet kaścid iti me bhāvitātmanaḥ |
Arjuna berkata: “Inilah keyakinanku yang telah mantap, lahir daripada jiwa yang terdidik: jika aku tidak memuja Tuhan Śiva—pemberi anugerah—maka tiada sesiapa pun akan memuja Śaṅkara yang merupakan Diri itu sendiri.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes personal responsibility in devotion: one should not assume others will uphold reverence for the divine. Arjuna’s resolve highlights disciplined faith (bhāvita-ātmā) and the ethic that worship and gratitude must be actively practiced, especially toward the boon-giving Lord Śiva.
Arjuna speaks of his inner conviction that he must worship Śiva. He frames Śiva as both the giver of boons (varada) and as Śaṅkara identified with the Self, implying that neglecting such worship would mean a failure to honor the highest spiritual reality.