Shloka 5
Arjuna’s Absence, Bhīma’s Kṣātra-Dharma Appeal, and Bṛhadaśva’s Arrival
Nala-Upākhyāna Begins
कैरातं वेषमास्थाय योधयामास फाल्गुनम् । जिज्ञासु: सर्वदेवेश: कपर्दी भगवान् स्वयम्,जटाजूटवधारी सर्वदिवेश्वर भगवान् शंकरने स्वयं ही अर्जुनके बलकी परीक्षा लेनेके लिये किरातवेष धारण करके उनके साथ युद्ध किया था
kirātaṁ veṣam āsthāya yodhayāmāsa phālgunam | jijñāsuḥ sarvadeveśaḥ kapardī bhagavān svayam ||
三阇耶说道：至高之主亲自——披散结发、额饰新月、统御诸天的商羯罗——化作基拉塔（山中猎人）之形，与法尔古那（阿周那）交战，只为试探并洞悉其力之所至。此段并非写神与人之仇，而是写一场有意的考验：以对峙磨砺武者的纪律与品格，使其堪受更高的扶持。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Divine trials are meant to reveal and refine inner worth: a warrior’s strength must be joined with humility and self-control. The Lord tests Arjuna not to harm him but to confirm his readiness for higher weapons and grace, showing that power is ethically grounded in discipline and devotion.
Śiva, wishing to assess Arjuna, takes the form of a Kirāta hunter and engages him in combat. The encounter is a deliberate test of Arjuna’s prowess and steadiness, setting the stage for Arjuna’s recognition of the divine and the subsequent bestowal of divine favor.