Shloka 5
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
यथा दृष्टश्न॒ ते शक्रो भगवान् वा पिनाकधृक् । यथैवास्त्राण्यवाप्तानि यथैवाराधितश्ष ते
yathā dṛṣṭas tvaṁ te śakro bhagavān vā pinākadhṛk | yathaivāstrāṇy avāptāni yathaivārādhitaś ca te ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: “Ó domador de inimigos, conta tudo exatamente como aconteceu—como contemplaste Śakra (Indra), ou como viste o bem-aventurado Senhor portador de Pināka (Śiva); como obtiveste as armas celestes; e como se consumaram com êxito os teus atos de culto e propiciação divina. E, já que Indra acaba de declarar: ‘Arjuna realizou uma obra que me é caríssima’, qual foi essa tarefa amada dele que tu cumpriste?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that extraordinary power (divine weapons and victories) is grounded in disciplined devotion and rightful conduct: one gains divine support through proper worship, austerity, and fulfilling duties that serve a higher cosmic order rather than personal ambition.
Vaiśampāyana prompts a detailed account of Arjuna’s divine encounters—his visions of Indra and Śiva, his acquisition of celestial weapons, and the successful completion of his acts of propitiation—then asks specifically what ‘beloved task’ of Indra Arjuna has just accomplished.