Mahabharata 3.39.66 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 66

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

तच्च माल्यं तदा पार्थ: किरातशिरसि स्थितम्‌ | अपश्यत्‌ पाण्डवश्रेष्ठो हर्षेण प्रकृतिं गत:

Transliteration

tac ca mālyaṁ tadā pārthaḥ kirātaśirasi sthitam | apaśyat pāṇḍavaśreṣṭho harṣeṇa prakṛtiṁ gataḥ ||

Translation

کُنتی پُتر پارتھ نے جو مالا پار्थِو شِو پر چڑھائی تھی، وہی اس نے کِرات کے سر پر رکھی دیکھی۔ یہ دیکھ کر پاندَووں میں سب سے برتر ارجن خوشی سے بھر گیا اور سنبھل گیا۔

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• माल्यम्: garland
• माल्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• पार्थः: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किरात-शिरसि: on the Kirāta's head
• किरात-शिरसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरातशिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थितम्: placed/situated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अपश्यत्: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डव-श्रेष्ठः: the best of the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डव-श्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हर्षेण: with joy
• हर्षेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रकृतिम्: natural state / composure
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गतः: having gone / having returned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

किरयात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (Pārtha, Pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha)
• Kirāta (hunter-form of Śiva)
• Śiva (implied by the garland previously offered)
• Garland (mālya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A sincere offering and steadfast effort are met with divine grace; when a clear sign of the divine appears, one should abandon pride and agitation, regain inner balance, and respond with reverence and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna notices that the garland he had offered to Śiva is now on the Kirāta’s head, revealing that the hunter is no ordinary man but a divine presence; this realization fills him with joy and restores his composure.