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 |
Então o Senhor Bem-aventurado (Śiva), tomando aquele arco e as duas aljavas cheias de flechas inesgotáveis, entregou-mos e disse: “Empunha-os.” E prosseguiu: “Ó abrasador de inimigos, estou satisfeito contigo. Fala—que propósito teu devo realizar? Herói, diz-me o desejo que tens no coração; eu o cumprirei—exceto a imortalidade.”
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.