Shloka 49
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
प्रणम्य मनसा शर्व ततो वचनमाददे । भगवान् मे प्रसन्नश्वेदीप्सितो5यं वरो मम
praṇamya manasā śarva tato vacanam ādade | bhagavān me prasannaś ced īpsito 'yaṃ varo mama |
Arjuna, trong tâm cúi lạy Śarva (Śiva), rồi thưa: “Nếu Đấng Tôn Quý hài lòng về ta, thì ân huệ ta mong cầu là: ta muốn được biết và được thọ nhận những thần khí đang do chư thiên gìn giữ.” Nghe vậy, Śiva ban cho chàng ân huệ được tiếp cận mọi vũ khí thiên giới.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary power (such as divine weapons) is portrayed as legitimate only when sought with reverence, restraint, and right intention. Arjuna does not demand power for ego; he petitions through devotion and receives it as a sanctioned responsibility, implying that strength must be ethically grounded and accountable to dharma.
After mentally bowing to Śiva (Śarva), Arjuna states his desired boon: to know and obtain the celestial weapons possessed by the gods. Śiva, pleased, responds by granting him the boon of acquiring all divine astras, preparing Arjuna for the coming conflict.