Shloka 18

Śiva Grants the Pāśupata Astra (Pāśupata-Śastra Upadeśa) | शिवेन पाशुपतास्त्रदानम्

Devanagari script

पूर्वर्षिरमितात्मा त्वं नरो नाम महाबल: । नियोगाद्‌ ब्रह्मणस्तात मर्त्यतां समुपागत:,अर्जुन! हम सब लोकपाल यहाँ आये हुए हैं। तुम हमें देखो। हम तुम्हें दिव्य दृष्टि देते हैं। तुम हमारे दर्शनके अधिकारी हो। तुम महामना एवं महाबली पुरातन महर्षि नर हो। तात! ब्रह्माजीकी आज्ञासे तुमने मानव-शरीर ग्रहण किया है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pūrvarṣir amitātmā tvaṃ naro nāma mahābalaḥ |

niyogād brahmaṇas tāta martyatāṃ samupāgataḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Ты — древний риши, с духом без меры; имя твоё — Нара, могучий силой. Дитя, по поручению Брахмы ты вошёл в смертное состояние. Арджуна, мы все, Локапалы — хранители миров, — пришли сюда. Узри нас. Мы даруем тебе божественное зрение; ты достоин принять наше даршана. Ты — Нара, первозданный мудрец, великодушный и всесильный. По повелению Брахмы ты принял человеческое тело».

Word by Word

{'pūrvarṣiḥ''an ancient/primeval seer', 'amitātmā': 'of immeasurable spirit

of boundless self-mastery', 'naraḥ (Nara)''Nara (a primordial sage

also ‘man’ in general, but here a proper name)', 'mahābalaḥ''very strong

of great power', 'niyogāt''by appointment/commission

by injunction', 'brahmaṇaḥ''of Brahmā (the creator-god)', 'tāta': 'dear one

child (a term of address)', 'martyatām''mortality

the condition of being human/mortal', 'samupāgataḥ''has attained/entered

has come to', 'lokapālāḥ''world-guardians

protectors of the quarters (Dikpālas)', 'divya-dṛṣṭiḥ''divine sight

supernatural vision', 'darśana''vision

sacred seeing', 'adhikārī''qualified

fit recipient', 'mahāmanāḥ''great-souled

noble-minded', 'purātana''ancient

primordial', 'maharṣiḥ''great seer', 'ājñā': 'command

order', 'mānava-śarīram''human body', 'gṛhītam': 'assumed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Nara

Brahmā

Lokapālas (guardians of the worlds)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames Arjuna not merely as a warrior but as the primordial sage Nara who has taken on human mortality by Brahmā’s command. It emphasizes adhikāra (spiritual qualification): divine vision is granted when one is fit, and worldly identity can be a chosen role within a larger cosmic purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

The guardians of the worlds arrive and reveal themselves to Arjuna, granting him divine sight so he can behold them. They address him as the ancient sage Nara, explaining that he has assumed a human body due to Brahmā’s commission.