Shloka 57
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
प्रेक्षतश्नैेव मे देवस्तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
prekṣataḥ śanaiḥ eva me devaḥ tatra eva antaradhīyata | sa śatrūṇāṃ saṃhārakaḥ vipakṣīyāṇāṃ senāyāḥ vidhvaṃsakaḥ | tasya prāptiḥ bahu kaṭhinā | devatā dānavāḥ rākṣasāś ca kasya api tasya vegaṃ soḍhum atyantaṃ kaṭhinam | punaḥ bhagavataḥ śivasya ājñayā ahaṃ tatra eva upaviśya tiṣṭhāmi sma, te ca mama paśyataḥ paśyataḥ antarhitāḥ abhavan ||
अर्जुन उवाच—अहं तावत् प्रेक्षमाण एव स देवस्तत्रैव शनैः शनैरन्तर्हितः। स शत्रुसूदनः परसेनाविध्वंसकश्च; तस्य प्राप्तिरतिदुर्लभा। देवा दानवा राक्षसाश्चापि तस्य वेगं सोढुमत्यन्तं दुष्करम्। अथ भगवतः शिवस्याज्ञया तत्रैवोपविष्टोऽहं, स च मम पश्यतः पश्यतः अन्तर्धानं गतः।
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes disciplined obedience and humility before divine instruction: even a mighty hero acknowledges that divine power is difficult to attain and unbearable to many beings, and he responds by following Śiva’s command without resistance.
Arjuna narrates that a divine figure—described as a destroyer of enemies and armies—gradually disappears before his eyes. After receiving Śiva’s instruction, Arjuna remains seated there, and the being vanishes from sight.