KIRATA AND ARJUNA
The beginning of the narrative concerning the encounter of arjuna with shiva as kirAta, consists of a request made by janamejaya to vaishampAyana to hear the same.
अत्यद्भुतं महाप्राज्ञ रोमहर्षणम् अर्जुनः.भवेन सह संग्रामं चकाराप्रतिमं किल . पुरा प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठः संग्रामेष्व् अपराजितः
[Janamejaya - Wise one! The battle between bhava & arjuna the foremost of warriors, who was formerly undefeated in battle was hair-raising without parallel]+
The names अर्जुन & भव used by janamejaya have significant meaning:
“अर्जुनः” - One who performs pure deeds of service to Krishna.
“भव” - भवति इति भव - One who always abides in his true nature of the self as subservient to Brahman.
Both were bhaktAs, so the battle was amazing+
“पुरा प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठः संग्रामेष्व् अपराजितः” - mahAdeva defeated arjuna, who had previously never known defeat in battle due to the anugraha of Krishna.
“महाप्राज्ञ” - “AchArya vaishampAyana, you are wise in discerning the tattvAs. You know the reason this battle occured”+
यच् छ्रुत्वा नरसिंहानां दैन्यहर्षातिविस्मयात् . शूराणाम् अपि पार्थानां हृदयानि चकम्पिरे
[Hearing of this battle, even the foremost among warriors, the (other) sons of kuntI, trembled in their minds, due to inferiority, delight and wonder]+
“दैन्यहर्षातिविस्मयात्” - Hearing this tale, the other pANDavAs felt inferior to arjuna, thinking, “we do not have the bhagavad anugraha that he has (दैन्य)”.
They were also delighted to be his brothers having sambandha with him (हर्षाति) & awestruck by his greatness (विस्मय)+
यद् यच् च कृतवान् अन्यत् पार्थस् तद् अखिलं वद . न ह्य् अस्य निन्दितं जिष्णोः सुसूक्ष्मम् अपि लक्षये . चरितं तस्य शूरस्य तन् मे सर्वं प्रकीर्तय+
[Tell me fully what else pArtha did (after the battle). I do not see even a slight cause for censure in Jishnu. Narrate the full history of that warrior to me]
न ह्य् अस्य निन्दितं जिष्णोः - Why does janamejaya add this statement that he does not see a cause to censure arjuna?+
Janamejaya is implying, “arjuna is जिष्णु as he subdues all in battle due to his virtue. He is always immune to censure, because bhagavAn does not see faults in his bhaktAs. Even if he committed an error which was the cause of mahAdeva defeating him in battle, he is blameless.”+
As arjuna is his great-grandfather, janamejaya has affection for him. Also, as arjuna is a bhakta, he cannot impute faults directly to arjuna. Yet, he is curious about the error arjuna made which led to his defeat.
This is his indirect way of asking, “tell me about that error”+
So, vaishampAyana replies,
कथयिष्यामि ते तात कथाम् एतां महात्मनः
[Foremost of Kurus! Dear one! I shall relate the story of that mahAtma] +
“कौरवशार्दूल” - You are a descendent of arjuna, therefore I know you have affection for him.
“महात्मनः” - Arjuna is a mahAtma - a bhagavad bhakta. Do not worry, he is sinless.
“तात” - Dear one! I am pleased by the way you asked the question+
दिव्यां कौरवशार्दूल महतीम् अद्भुतोपमाम्
[This narrative (of arjuna and the kirAta) is sublime, profound in meanings and resembles the wonder of Hari-leela]+
“दिव्यां” - The story cleanses sins of the learner obstructing j~nAna.
“महतीम्” - It is deep in meanings, imparting j~nAna.
“अद्भुतोपमाम्” - Hari-leela is “अद्भुत” - wondrous. kirAtArjuna yuddha is similar to hari-leela, as it imparts Ananda - great joy - on hearing it+
When yudhiShThira ponders about how to defeat the Kauravas, veda vyAsa comes to him and gives him advice. He tells him that it is time for Arjuna to acquire celestial weapons
As mentioned earlier, Arjuna was not inclined to sharaNAgati. He had pride over his strength & did sAdhana-bhakti. vyAsa asked dharmaputra to persuade arjuna via brotherly love.
Even yudhiSThira was disinclined to surrender, but as a j~nAni, he knew it’s greatness as an upAya+
So yudhiShThira instructs arjuna. He begins by pointing out how Duryodhana is unassailable due to having great bhaktAs like bhIShma, droNa etc on his side.
This is to first make arjuna realize his own strength is useless, to coax him into surrender. Then yudhiShThira tells him+
कृष्णद्वैपायनात् तात गृहीतोपनिषन् मया . तया प्रयुक्तया सम्यग् जगत् सर्वं प्रकाशते
[yudhiSThira to Arjuna: “I obtained this mantra which is an Upanishad from vyAsa. Employing that (in contemplation), nArAyaNa who is the entire universe will be illumined”]+
“उपनिषद्” - means that thirumantra needs to be learned from an AchArya, or is the essence of the upanishads.
“तया प्रयुक्तया सम्यग् जगत् सर्वं प्रकाशते” - By thirumantra, the nature of nArAyaNa (as the means) who is the innerself of the Universe subservient to him is illumined+
तेन त्वं ब्रह्मणा तात संयुक्तः सुसमाहितः . देवतानां यथाकालं प्रसादं प्रतिपालय
[Dear one! Through the knowledge imparted by thirumantra, you of a mind concentrated in the true nature of the self & yoked to Brahman as the refuge, will acquire the favors of the gods in due time]
Thirumantra imparts j~nAna. Then the mind is fixed in the dependent nature of the self (सुसमाहित)- “Akinchanyam” & with Brahman as sole refuge (ब्रह्मणा संयुक्त)- “ananyagatitvam”
“यथाकालं”- “Do not use self-effort. Hari will grant the weapons upon surrender when he wills it”+
Arjuna may object, “I regard sharaNAgati as the best means. But I am strong & lack a feeling of helplessness (Akinchanyam) that weak people who surrender have. shAstra says it is better to pursue bhakti yoga than do sharaNAgati improperly”
Anticipating this dharmaputra says+ तपसा योजयात्मानमुग्रेण भरतर्षभ. धनुष्मान्कवची खङ्गी मुनिः साधुव्रते स्थितः
[Foremost of Bharatas! Yoke yourself to sharaNAgati that is regarded by bhagavAn as a fierce penance. Muni! Armed with bow, armor & sword, abide in the means suited to the dependent nature of the self]+
“मुनिः” - “You are always absorbed in shAstra. You know Hari is the means even for strong people”.
“भरतर्षभ” - “You are a descendent of Bharata who meditated on the dependent nature of the self.”
“साधुव्रत”- sharaNAgati is “व्रत” conducive to that dependent nature of the self+
“धनुष्मान्कवची..” - No need to give up weapons physically. Just giving up self-effort by mind is enough.
तपसा योजयात्मानमुग्रेण - तप is sharaNAgati (nyAsa) as per mahAnArAyaNa upanishad (न्यासमेषां तपसामति)
Why is it a fierce penance (उग्रतपस्)? Because bhagavAn feels it is+
As Krishna said, गोविन्देति यदाक्रन्दत् क्र्श्णा…ऋणम् प्रव्र्द्धमिव मे ह्र्दयात् न अपसर्पति
[Krishna -“draupadI’s cry for help from afar, calling me govinda is like a debt with interest”]
In bhagavAn’s mind, even a small effort of saying “govinda” by his bhaktAs is उग्रतपस्+
शक्रम् एव प्रपद्यस्व स ते ऽस्त्राणि प्रदास्यति . योगयुक्तस्य ते पार्थ तत्र नास्ति विचारणा
[yudhiShThira - “Yoking yourself to Brahman who is called “योग” as he is the means, go to Shakra and he will give you the weapons, there is no need for inquiry”]+
Thus, yudhiShThira advises arjuna to mentally surrender to bhagavAn and then go see Indra. Then, he will get the weapons from Indra himself.
Despite yudhiShThira & vyAsa asking him surrender, arjuna couldn’t do it.
When one cannot obey an AchArya’s order due to incapability, shAstra permits him to do the next best thing. So arjuna decided to do penances with thirumantra as accessory+
मनोजवगतिर् भूत्वा योगयुक्तो यथानिलः…इन्द्रकीलं समासाद्य ततोऽतिष्ठद् धनंजयः
[Arjuna, yoked to the thirumantra called “योग”, reached his destination quick as thought, like the wind. He arrived at Indrakila & stayed intending to do penances.]+
“योगयुक्त” - Arjuna did thirumantra-japa as accessory for getting rid of karmas preventing him from invoking gods like Indra. He arrived quickly by power of the mantra.
धनंजय who conquers kAma & artha by bhakti, reached Indrakila & stayed there to do penances towards Indra+
प्रस्थेन्द्रकीलस्य शुभे तपोयोगपरोऽभवत् .ऊर्ध्वबाहुर्न चाङ्गानि प्रास्पन्दयत किंचन .समाहितात्मा नियतः सहस्राक्षसुतोऽच्युतः
[Indra’s son, अच्युत, took to the means of penance in the charming Indrakila with raised arms & firm limbs, mind fixed in Brahman & with restrained senses]+
“सहस्राक्षसुतोऽच्युतः” - Indra has 1000 eyes for enjoying pleasures of svarga.
Despite his father being a bhogI, arjuna was “अच्युत” - ie, immersed in indrAntaryAmin, called “अच्युत” who does not let his devotees slip. Thus, he was detached+
अन्तरिक्षे हि शुश्राव तिष्ठेति स वचस् तदा .
[Then a voice in the sky said “Stay”]
Doing penances is simply going to delay the fruit (acquisition of weapons). So, a celestial voice told him to stop. Indra wanted to see if he himself could persuade arjuna to surrender+
अथापश्यत्सव्यसाची वृक्षमूले तपस्विनम् । ब्राह्म्या श्रिया दीप्यमानं पिङ्गलं जटिलं कृशम्
[Then, SavyasachI saw a tapasvI under a tree, with effulgence of a brAhmaNa, endowed with beauty, brilliance, emaciated, tawny, with matted locks]. This was Indra. He had appeared disguised as a brAhmaNa. The thirumantra which was used as accessory by arjuna, removed karmas that were obstacles for him to invoke the gods directly. So, Indra appeared as fruit of thirumantra-japa+
सोऽब्रवीद् अर्जुनं तत्र स्थितं दृष्ट्वा महातपाः .कस् त्वं तातेह संप्राप्तो धनुष्मान् कवची शरी .निबद्धासितलत्राणः क्षत्रधर्मम् अनुव्रतः
[The mighty Indra seeing Arjuna there (in tapas) said “Child! Who are you come with bow, armor, arrows & scabbard following kShatriya dharma?”] Arjuna was doing tapas (brAhmaNa-dharma). Yet Indra says “क्षत्रधर्मम् अनुव्रतः”. Why? Indra implies- “You are fond of your own strength as you bear these weapons. Though you perform tapas, it is not what vyAsa ordered - so you follow kShatriya dharma - using your strength.”+
नेह शस्त्रेण कर्तव्यं शान्तानाम् अयम् आलयः . विनीतक्रोधहर्षाणां ब्राह्मणानां तपस्विनाम्
[“There is no duty for weapons here as this is the abode of brAhmaNAs devoid of anger & joy, of tranquil minds due to experience of Brahman (शान्तानाम्), who are karma yogIs (तपस्विनाम्)”]+
yudhiShThira had said arjuna need not even relinquish his weapons if he had the mental capacity for “Akinchanyam” (helplessness) needed for surrender.
Indra saw he lacked that mentality & asked him to drop the weapons so that bhagavAn would regard that as an act of surrender+
Now, Indra had advised arjuna to get a darshanam of mahAdeva as he felt the latter as j~nAna-prada-mUrti would enable arjuna to surrender.
So, Arjuna commences penances towards mahAdeva+
तपस्य् उग्रे वर्तमान उग्रतेजा महामनाः दर्भचीरं निवस्याथ दण्डाजिनविभूषितः
[Arjuna who is very wise, of formidable resplendence, performed a fierce penance wearing robes made of darbha, with a staff and deer skin]+
“महामनाः”- One who is wise in knowledge of shAstra regarding supremacy of viShNu well. He decided to worship mahAdeva as viShnu-pratIka for weapons.
“उग्रतेजा” - He has great strength for penances.
“तपस्य् उग्रे वर्तमान” - He did a fierce penance using that strength to rudra+
Robes of darbha, staff for support & deer skin are described to show the difficulty of his penance.
पूर्णे पूर्णे त्रिरात्रे तु मासम् एकं फलाशनः .द्विगुणेनैव कालेन द्वितीयं मासम् अत्यगात् .तृतीयम् अपि मासं स पक्षेणाहारम् आचरन् .शीर्णं च पतितं भूमौ पर्णं समुपयुक्तवान्+
[Once every three nights, he ate fruits in the first month. In the second month, he ate once every 6 nights. In the third month, he ate the shrivelled leaves which fell on the ground once every fortnight]+
Point of saying this is to show Arjuna tormented his body by penance. Gods like indra, rudra etc require penances to be done perfectly and completed with all requirements before they bestow their favor. They are not like bhagavAn, who does not require great efforts+
When pArvati performed a penance to marry mahAdeva, though the latter was flattered by her desire to be united with him -- he did not appear until she had tormented her senses by not even eating a leaf+
pArvati attained the name of “aparNa” - one who did not even eat a leaf, such was the ferocity of her penances. And though mahAdeva desired her, he waited until that arduous penance was perfectly completed, to marry her. This shows how difficult penances to other gods are+
चतुर्थे त्वथ संप्राप्ते मासे भरतसत्तमः । वायुभक्षो महाबाहुरभवत्पाण्डुनन्दनः।
[When the 4th month commenced, that one of mighty arms, foremost of bharata’s line, the son of pANDu ate only air.]+
“भरतसत्तमः”- Bharata firmly adhered to shAstric rules. His eminent descendent arjuna, thus followed all rules for penance.
“महाबाहु” - He felt he had strength to obey such rigid rules.
“पाण्डुनन्दनः” - As son of pANDu who had virtuous conduct, he was eager to follow all rules+
ऊर्ध्वबाहुर् निरालम्बः पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठितः
[With upraised arms and no support, standing on the tips of his toes]
As arjuna expended more and more strength in his penance, his senses weakened.
When arjuna recounts the story of his penance to yudhishThira, he says+
न च मे हीयते प्राणस् तद् अद्भुतम् इवाभवत्
[Arjuna - “It is a wonder I did not lose my life due to that penance”]
What Arjuna means is, “the sole reason I was alive during that penance, is because of bhagvad anugraha which is a wonder. I realize now, it was not my strength”+
This is important. At this point in upAsana, arjuna, due to weakened senses, lost his para-tattva-j~nAna. He started worshipping mahAdeva as supreme. Vaishampayana communicates this indirectly due to regard for arjuna, to hide his doSha. But how do we know this? Explained below+
“सदोपस्पर्शनाच्” - “उपस्पर्शन” is not bathing, but “देवतान्तरस्पर्श” - contact with anya-devatA as supreme/equal to viShNu.
When rudra is meditated as viShNu-pratIka, then it is pure contact. When he is seen as supreme, it is "impure contact" as per a smR^iti quoted by AchAryAs+
ध्रव्यम्निन्द्यसुरादि दैवतमतिक्षुद्रम् च बाह्यागमो दृष्टिर् देवलकाश्च देशिकजना
[Avoid contact with forbidden food, liquor etc, lesser gods,veda-bAhya Agamas, servitors of lesser gods & their gurus]
IE, Seeing other gods as independent is like contact with forbidden food/liquor+
“विद्युदम्भोरुहनिभा जटा”- Matted hair (जटा) arises from penance & so denotes his penance. “अम्भोरुह” is a lotus, which is “वि-द्युत्” - devoid of color, fragrance etc.
So, his penance lost it’s lustre like a withered lotus; arjuna lost his brahma-tejas due to incorrect worship+
“महात्मनः”- As arjuna is worshipping incorrectly, महात्मनः does not mean “noble”. It means “He whose will (आत्मा) to do a harsh penance is great (महत्)”.
“अमितौजसः”-He should have died from that harsh penance, but is alive by bhagavad sankalpa. So his strength seems limitless!+
Now, why did arjuna start worshipping rudra as supreme?
This error occurs in some forms of upAsana and particularly in one form called “pratIkopAsana”+
Arjuna did pratIkopAsana on rudra for acquiring desired objects.
In this meditation as per ब्रह्मदृष्टिरुत्कर्षात् (brahma sUtra 4.1.5), guNAs of Hari are superimposed on iShtadevatA (rudra here) & the god is meditated as Brahman+
But constant meditation on vibhUtis as pratIkAs can sometimes cause confusion in an inexperienced yogI as to whether the god is distinct from or identical to nArAyaNa.
Since the god (sharIra) is closely connected with nArAyaNa (the sharIrI), the distinction may blur+
A god is a great being compared to a human. Even if a yogI has perfect shAstra-j~nAna, personal experience is overpowering. So when they meditate on the god’s glory by pratIkopAsana, they sometimes think, “maybe he is identical to nArAyaNa & not just a vibhUti?” We have seen this in shAstra. mArkandeya in his youth, wrongly surrendered to rudra thinking he was paramAtma, seeking long life. In bhAgavata purANa, we have the story of the rishis asking bhR^igu to test brahmA, viShNu & shiva to see who was the supreme being among them+
We know body is distinct from Atma from shAstra. But overwhelmed by experiences of the body, sometimes we still identify with the body. Likewise, some yogIs get confused temporarily that gods who are viShNu’s bodies, are viShNu (the self) even if they had prior shAstra-j~nAna. So constant meditation on brahmA, rudra, indra & sUrya as pratIkAs may lead to powerful experience of their grandeur, making a yogI doubt if he understood shAstra correctly about them being vibhUtIs. Thus, he starts confusing the vibhUtIs as their svAmi. This happened to arjuna.
Having constantly meditated on Rudra as pratIka, he had confused vibhUti (hara) with svAmi (hari) due to senses weakened by rigors of harsh penance. His j~nAna had deserted him, despite his prior knowledge of hari-sarvottamatva via shAstra.
arjuna’s pratIkopAsana had gone awry due to weakened senses & he meditated on mahAdeva as Brahman. This is why rudra did not appear to him yet even though he had done thirumantra-japa previously. He had lost the knowledge imparted by thirumantra. Seeing arjuna in this plight, some rishis decide to help him.
ततो महर्षयः सर्वे जग्मुर्देवं पिनाकिनम्. विवेदयिषवः पार्थं तपस्युग्रे समास्थितम्
[Then the maharishis all went to the god who bears the pinAka. They told him about the fierce penance that pArtha had undertaken]+
“पिनाकि” -brahmA gave shiva the pinAka bow as an ornament for success in sAdhana. Thus, it signifies he is an accomplished yogI. When a jIva falls into distress or aj~nAna, it is bhAgavata sambandha that rescues him. These maharishis were bhAgavatAs, concerned about arjuna+
नीलकण्ठं महादेवमभिवाद्य प्रणम्य च [Bowing & offering respects to mahAdeva who is nIlakaNTha…]
नीलकण्ठं महादेव - He consumed poison to protect the gods (नीलकण्ठ) by meditating on bhagavAn with bhakti, thus he is a great god (महादेव) who knows his own nature without delusion+
सर्वे निवेदयामासुः कर्म तत्फल्गुनस्य ह […The rishis told mahAdeva about that deed of phalguna - his act of incorrect worship]
“कर्म तत्फल्गुनस्य” - Why does vaishampAyana call arjuna’s penance as “कर्म”? Earlier, he had called it “तपस्युग्रे”?+
vaishampAya first says “विवेदयिषवः पार्थं तपस्युग्रे समास्थितम्” - rishis told rudra of pArtha’s fierce penance as initially, he worshipped rudra as viShNu-pratIka.
Thus, it was a sAttvic penance, even if hard & unnecessary (as vyAsa had only instructed him to surrender). Then he says, “निवेदयामासुः कर्म तत्फल्गुनस्य” - The rishis told him about phalguna’s “act”- the improper worship of rudra (अविधिपूर्वक कर्म) which is no longer “तप”. Ie, what was earlier तप is now merely कर्म - a fruitless act devoid of knowledge.
एकः पार्थो महातेजा हिमवत्पृष्ठमाश्रितः । उग्रे तपरसि दुष्पारे स्थितो धूमापयन्दिशः
[The rishis said - “pArtha, who is an unparalleled aMSha of the resplendent nArAyaNa, is performing a fierce, impossible penance on the himavat, causing the directions to be smoking with heat"]+
“एकः” - arjuna is unparalleled among humans due to his bhakti.
“पार्थ” - He is dear to Krishna as kuntI’s son.
“महातेजा” - He is an AveSha of bhagavAn who is “महातेजा” - has an effulgence which dispels the darkness of ignorance+
“उग्रे तपरसि दुष्पारे” - “Such an arjuna, is performing a penance which is “दुष्पार” - which is impossible to complete. Why is it impossible? Because he has lost the j~nAna required to complete that penance and gain the fruit as he is worshipping you (rudra) as supreme”+
“धूमापयन्दिशः” - The directions were smoking.
The rishis say, "His penance is causing heat and violence to the worlds. Instead of surrendering to Krishna, he tortured his body and is now torturing the worlds with a penance which is “अविधिपूर्वकम्”."+
एक्तस्य देवेश न वयं विद्मः सर्वे चिकीर्षितम् । संतापयति नः सर्वानसौ साधु निवार्यताम्
[“Ruler of Gods! We all do not know the purpose of his penance. We are all tormented by it and it would be appropriate to stop him”]+
“न वयं विद्मः सर्वे चिकीर्षितम्” - “We do not see a purpose - ie, his penance is fruitless as he meditates on you (rudra) as Brahman. In pratIkopAsana, he saw your glory as “देवेश” - ruler of gods & confused you (a vibhUti), with Brahman (the svAmi) due to weakened senses.”+
“संतापयति नः सर्वानसौ साधु निवार्यताम्” - “We are tormented by it. Not physically, because we are great rishis unaffected by the violence of that penance. But mentally, we are grieving for a great bhakta’s loss of j~nAna. We seek to stop that penance for lokakShema.”+
On the request of the rishis, mahAdeva decides to go in person and set Arjuna on the right path again.
vaishampAyana explains the attributes of the kirAta-rUpa assumed by mahAdeva. Let us study that form
arjuna’s pratIkopAsana had gone awry due to weakened senses & he meditated on mahAdeva as Brahman. This is why rudra did not appear to him yet even though he had done thirumantra-japa previously. He had lost the knowledge imparted by thirumantra
पिनाकपाणिर् भगवान् सर्वपापहरो हरः कैरातं वेषम् आस्थाय काञ्चनद्रुमसंनिभम् . विभ्राजमानो वपुषा गिरिर् मेरुर् इवापरः
[bhagavAn Hara, the destroyer of sins, bearer of the pinAka, assumed the form of a kirAta resembling a golden tree. His form was shining like a second Meru]
भगवान् - An AveShAvatAra of Hari.
हरः - One who knows himself as vibhUti of hari for samhAra-kArya, ie, he sees himself as an instrument of bhagavAn.
पिनाकपाणि - Success of his sAdhana is signified by pinAka.
सर्वपापहर: - Who removes the sins of others by imparting j~nAna+
“कैरातं वेषम् आस्थाय” - Why did he assume the guise of a hunter? Because arjuna due to loss of knowledge had become a pashu, fit to be subdued by pashupati, the hunter.
An Acharya is a "hunter" who takes the erring jIva that is a wild animal+
“काञ्चनद्रुमसंनिभम् विभ्राजमानो वपुषा गिरिर् मेरुर् इवापरः” - His form was like a golden tree & shining like the Meru mountain. Why mention 2 examples here?
It is because “काञ्चनद्रुम” signifies he meditates on the self. “मेरुर् इवापरः” signifies he meditates on Brahman+
काञ्चनद्रुमसंनिभम् - A golden tree. Golden color is due to yoga-bala. A tree never moves from it’s place -- likewise, he is always fixed in the self and never deluded.
“द्रुम” also means wood - it signifies he is impervious to rAga-dveShAdi dvandvAs like an inert piece of wood+
विभ्राजमानो वपुषा गिरिर् मेरुर् इवापरः - Shining like a 2nd Meru. The Meru parvata is golden with dark clouds at its peak, as per thiruvAimozhi 9.2.6- pon malaiyin mImisaik kArmugilpOl.
Likewise mahAdeva shines with Yoga, his mind (peak) immersed in dark cloud like form of Hari+
श्रीमद् धनुर् उपादाय शरांश् चाशीविषोपमान् . निष्पपात महार्चिष्मान् दहन् कक्षम् इवानलः
[Taking up his beautiful bow, the pinAka, with arrows resembling snakes, he who has the effulgent viShNu as his antaryAmin descended like a fire consuming the forest interior. ]+
“श्रीमद् धनुर्” - The bow pinAka, called “श्रीमद्” because it enables success of upAsana for mahAdeva, being gifted by his AchArya, brahmA.
“शरांश् चाशीविषोपमान्” - Arrows shot from that bow are irresistible, such is it’s greatness+
“महार्चिष्मान्” - This refers to nArAyaNa, who is the innerself of rudra. bhagavAn is “महार्चिष्मान्” as he possesses a great effulgence which opens the eyes of his devotees & imparts j~nAna.
As rudra is going to impart j~nAna to arjuna, he possesses a spark of that effulgence+
“दहन् कक्षम् इवानलः” - mahAdeva besides having a golden form also has the reddish hue of fire, as he is the destroyer.
Thus, though he disguised himself as a kirAta, his reddish effulgence blazed through the forest, as if his famous identity cannot be hidden!+
देव्या सहोमया श्रीमान् समानव्रतवेषया . नानावेषधरैर् हृष्टैर् भूतैर् अनुगतस् तदा
[Shiva, who is श्रीमान् , was accompanied by goddess umA who was similarly attired and was also like him in performance of duties.]
In shAstra, anyone who does service to bhagavAn is “श्रीमान्”+
In yuddha kANDa, gods praise rAma for killing rAvaNa. But only shiva told rAma to go console Bharata & rule ayodhya. Unlike other gods who focused on what rAma did for them (killing rAvaNa), shiva focused on what rAma desired & expressed his wish for rAma to stay in this world+
Thus, vAlmiki called him “श्रीमान् महादेव” - one who has wealth of rAma-kainkarya (श्रीमान्) due to caring for rAma’s wishes. Here, vaishampAyana is overjoyed that mahAdeva appeared to help arjuna & calls him “श्रीमान्” again - doing a service for Krishna by correcting arjuna+
In rAmAyaNa, mahAdeva came to ask rAma to go and be with his bhaktAs like Bharata.
In MB, mahAdeva came to make a bhakta (arjuna) go & surrender to bhagavAn.
This is the beautiful way both ithihAsAs establish mahAdeva is “श्रीमान्”, in opposite but complementary manner! umA accompanying him is hailed as “समानव्रतवेषया”.
It is not that she has the same sAdhana as him. Just as “समान-वेष” means she has similar attire & not the same cloth, “समान-व्रत” means her resolve to do pativrata dharma is as great as mahAdeva’s own resolve to remain in yoga+
नानावेषधरैर् हृष्टैर् भूतैर् अनुगतस् तदा
[They were followed by various beings (the gaNAs) of diverse attires, always delighted in mind. ]
“हृष्टैर्” - The gaNAs are cheerful due to being free of the distress of prakR^iti, as they had Atma-j~nAna imparted to them by mahAdeva+
किरातवेषप्रच्छन्नः स्त्रीभिश् चानु सहस्रशः..अशोभत तदा राजन्स स देवोऽतीव भारत
[The one disguised as kirAta was followed by 1000s of women. King! That god shone greatly]
kumbhakoNam recension reads अशोभत..देशोऽतीव - The forest shone brightly (due to kirAta’s tejas). Same meaning
Who were these “thousands” of women? Forms of the river goddesses, like ganga, yamuna, godAvari, etc.
Since mahAdeva is an exalted upAsaka, he is fond of puNya tIrthAs. As he is a great bhAgavata, those tIrthAs always stay near him, as said in anushAsana parva below+
बिभ्रती कलशं रौक्मं सर्वतीर्थजलोद्भवम्… गिरिस्रवाभिः पुण्याभिः सर्वतो ऽनुगता शुभा
[umA held a golden water pot with the waters from all holy rivers. She was accompanied by auspicious women --- goddesses of mountain streams, pure due to association with Brahman]+
In this manner, mahAdeva appeared as a hunter to hunt the pashu (arjuna), accompanied by all his accessories to upAsana, which show he is a great yogI - his wife, his bow and the river goddesses.
part 6
स सन्निकर्षमागम्य पार्थस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः । मूकं नाम दितेः पुत्रं ददर्शाद्भुतदर्शनम् । वाराहं रूपमास्थाय तर्जयन्तमिवार्जुनम्
mahAdeva is a yogI. He is deeply immersed in brahmAnubhava wherever he goes. Thus, when he saw mUka as a boar, he was immediately reminded of varAhAvatAra. In reality, the boar was neither wonderful nor like a dark cloud. But mahAdeva felt as if he was seeing varAha himself! Pillai Urangavalli Dasar saw midnight as Krishna’s dark form. Nammazhwar regarded even the mud on the ground as urdhva puNDra. mahAdeva saw a daitya as a boar and was reminded of varAha. j~nAnIs are reminded of bhagavAn by everything they see, since they think of him always
Coming back to the narrative, kirAta’s warning is not heeded by arjuna.
तनादृत्यैव तद् वाक्यं प्रजहाराथ फल्गुनः . मुमोच निशितं बाणं वज्राशनिसमं बलम्. किरातश् च समं तस्मिन्न् एकलक्ष्ये महाद्युतिः . प्रमुमोचाशनिप्रख्यं शरम् अग्निशिखोपमम् .+
[Phalguna, disregarding Kirata’s words, struck the boar. He shot a sharp arrow with the power of Indra’s Vajra. The Kirata of great resplendence at that moment also with the same aim (of killing Muka), released an arrow shining like lightning & resembling a flame]
mahAdeva assumed the role of arjuna’s AchArya as indicated by “एकलक्ष्य” - he had the same aim (to kill mUka), as arjuna, just as an AchArya’s & shishya’s desires are aligned together. Thus, he decided to protect arjuna.
Now let us understand the descriptions of their arrows निशितं बाणं वज्राशनिसमं बलम्- Arjuna’s arrow was sharp & strong like Indra’s Vajra which can kill mUka. But he is फल्गुन- who did incorrect penance & made a false vow of sinlessness despite having sin of devatAntara-bhajanam. So the arrow despite it’s potency cannot kill mUka+
kirAta’s arrow was अशनिप्रख्यं - shining like lightning, अग्निशिखोपमम्- like a flame scorching flesh. But it was weaker than arjuna’s arrow. Yet that arrow can kill mUka as kirAta is महाद्युति - has the luster of Hari that subdues foes. Unlike arjuna, kirAta had bhagavad-j~nAna+
तौ मुक्तौ सायकौ ताभ्यां समं तत्र निपेततुः मूकस्य गात्रे विस्तीर्णे शैलपृष्ठनिभे तदा . यथाशनिविनिष्पेषो वज्रस्येव च पर्वते . तथा तयोः संनिपातः शरयोर् अभवत् तदा . स विद्धो बहुभिर् बाणैर् दीप्तास्यैः पन्नगैर् इव . ममार राक्षसं रूपं भूयः कृत्वा विभीषणम्+
The 2 arrows fell on mUka’s large mountain-like body simultaneously like force of lightning & Indra’s vajra striking a hill. Thus a contact of the 2 arrows arose. Muka, struck by many shining snakelike arrows (from Kirata’s bow), again assumed his fearsome Rakshasa form & died]+
mUka’s body is hard like the surface of a mountain (शैलपृष्ठनिभे). Arjuna’s arrow, though strong like Indra’s Vajra, only had impact similar to a lightning strike (यथाशनिविनिष्पेषो पर्वते).
Can a lightning strike afflict a mountain? No! His arrow did not kill or even hurt mUka+
mahAdeva’s arrow, though not as strong as Indra’s Vajra by nature, however landed with the force of the vajrAyudha (विनिष्पेषो वज्रस्येव च पर्वते) which breaks even mountains.
His arrow greviously wounded mUka because unlike arjuna, kirAta had bhagavad-j~nAna+
Despite wounding mUka greviously, kirAta’s arrow did not kill him. Why?
Because the text says “तयोः संनिपातः” arjuna’s arrow was not just ineffective in killing mUka, but also actively impeded the progress of kirAta’s arrow from entering mUka’s vitals by making contact with it+
बहुभिर् बाणैर् - Therefore, seeing arjuna’s arrow block his own, the kirAta shot additional arrows & killed mUka who had already been injured by his first arrow. These arrows did not come from arjuna’s bow, but came from kirAta’s. That will be made clear by the kirAta later+
arjuna’s stronger arrow became weak without bhagavad-j~nAna. kirAta’s weaker arrow became strong due to that j~nAna. Arjuna’s arrow was not only ineffective but also impeded the kill.
tAtparya is that without bhagavad-j~nAna, any sAdhana is both useless & counterproductive.
Arjuna due to pride in his gANDIva and knowing his arrow to be very strong & sharp, believed he had killed the boar. He felt kirAta had just released arrows to falsely claim the kill. We will see the debate between arjuna and kirAta on this, and their altercation next week.
PART 7
Arjuna seeing the kirAta take credit for the killing of mUka, argues with him.
ददर्शाथ ततो जिष्णुः पुरुषं काञ्चनप्रभम् . किरातवेषप्रच्छन्नं स्त्रीसहायम् अमित्रहा . तम् अब्रवीत् प्रीतमनाः कौन्तेयः प्रहसन्न् इव+
Arjuna becomes angry and replies to this.
गाण्डीवम् आश्रयं कृत्वा नाराचांश् चाग्निसंनिभान् . निवसामि महारण्ये द्वितीय इव पावकिः . एष चापि मया जन्तुर् मृगरूपं समाश्रितः राक्षसो निहतो घोरो हन्तुं मामिह चागतः+
[Arjuna - “Resorting to the gANDIva and arrows which are like fire, I reside in the great forest like a second Skanda. This terrible rAkShasa which assumed the form of an animal and arrived here was killed by me”]+
गाण्डीवम् आश्रयं- I am Arjuna, famed for my j~nAna & vIrya. I know virtue & am not ignorant.
द्वितीय इव पावकिः- I am not a delicate person, but like Skanda in strength & can do hard penances.
राक्षसो निहतो घोरो- Due to my noble vow & strength, this rAkShasa was killed by me+
kirAta replies.
मयैष धन्वनिर्मुक्तैस्ताडितः पूर्वमेव हि । बाणैरभिहतः शेते नीतश्च यमसादनम् । ममैवायं लक्ष्यभूतः पूर्वमेव परिग्रहः । ममैव च प्रहारेण जीविताद्व्यपरिपितः+
[kirAta - “This one was struck first by the arrow released from my bow. Killed by my arrows, he has gone to the abode of Yama. This daitya was first accepted by me as the target for hunting. He was also deprived of life by my strike”]+
“मयैष धन्वनिर्मुक्तैस्ताडितः पूर्वमेव हि” - “My arrow injured him first. Yours did not hurt him.”
“बाणैरभिहतः शेते नीतश्च यमसादनम्” - “Your arrow not only had no effect, but also interfered with my 1st arrow from killing him. So I shot more arrows to kill him”
ममैवायं लक्ष्यभूतः पूर्वमेव परिग्रहः- I resolved to kill him first by becoming your AchArya, to protect you from your false vow of sinlessness.”
ममैव च प्रहारेण जीविताद्व्यपरिपितः- “My shot killed him as you lacked bhagavad anugraha to kill him despite strength of your arrow”
दोषान् स्वान् नार्हसे ऽन्यस्मै वक्तुं स्वबलदर्पितः.अभिषक्तो ऽस्मि मन्दात्मन् न मे जीवन् विमोक्ष्यसे
[kirAta- “Proud of your own strength, you should not accuse others of improper conduct when you are at fault. I am censured by you. Fool! You will not escape me with life”]+
स्वबलदर्पितः- As you have pride in strength to do futile penances, you have pride in strength of your futile bow.
मन्दात्मन्- As you are a fool unable to distinguish Hari (svAmi) from me (a vibhUti) in your penance, you are a fool unable to distinguish which arrow killed mUka+
“अभिषक्तो ऽस्मि” - I who became your AchArya & saved you from death, have been censured by you. Your aj~nAna leads you to commit more offenses.
“न मे जीवन् विमोक्ष्यसे” - “You will not escape with life”. Now, mahAdeva does not intend to kill arjuna. So why does he say this?+
As thirumazhisai azhwar says “anRu naan piRandhilEn” - true life is correct j~nAna.
Thus, mahAdeva’s words seem like a threat to arjuna, but as he had no intention to kill the latter, it simply means, “I will remove the life of ignorance and give you a new life of j~nAna”
स्थिरो भवस्व मोक्ष्यामि सायकान् अशनीन् इव . घटस्व परया शक्त्या मुञ्च त्वम् अपि सायकान्
[kirAta - “Stay firm relying on your strength. I will release arrows like lightning. Exert yourself to the best of your ability and unleash your arrows at me”]
“घटस्व परया” - kirAta intends to exhaust arjuna to deprive him of his strength, which causes his obstinacy in doing penances, & hence his aj~nAna.
First, his pride is to be curbed by removing his strength; then only j~nAna can be bestowed. We will see the altercation next.
PART 8
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा किरातस्यार्जुनस् तदा .रोषम् आहारयाम् आस ताडयाम् आस चेषुभिः .ततो हृष्टेन मनसा प्रतिजग्राह सायकान् [Hearing Kirata’s words, Arjuna became angry & attacked him with arrows, which the Kirata received with a delighted mind]+
देवं पिनाकिनम्- This means the supreme god (देवं), pinAki. Or it means, “pinAki who is verily identical to “देव” - the radiant Lord of shrI. In pratIkopAsana, arjuna confused hari & hara as of same nature or 2 equal tattvAs. Villiputhurar hints at this in his rendering of MB.
Note that arjuna says “देवो वा यदि वा यक्षो रुद्राद् अन्यो” - “If it is a god or yakSha, other than rudra”, showing he doesn’t class rudra as just a god, but someone different to all beings. This confusion is due to his vivid meditation on rudra in his pratIkopAsana. As he believes rudra is the supreme being who has not yet answered his penance, he feels this kirAta is not rudra.
So the text says, “ततो हृष्टमना जिष्णुर् नाराचान् मर्मभेदिनः व्यसृजच्” - Thinking he can quell any lesser god, arjuna cheerfully shot his best arrows again+
तान्प्रसन्नेन मनसा भगवाँल्लोकभावनः । शूलपाणिः प्रत्यगृह्णाच्छिलावर्षमिवाचलः
[Bhagavan Rudra, the Bearer of the Shula, nurturer of the world by bestowing knowledge, bore those arrows with a clear mind like a mountain bearing a shower of rocks]
rudra sees himself as bhagavadAveSha & vibhUti (भगवाँल्लोकभावन, शूलपाणि).
He has प्रसन्न मनस due to tattva-j~nAna.
The text says क्षीणबाणोऽथ- Arjuna’s inexhaustible quiver became empty by bhagavad sankalpa, to make him recall how he received it by Krishna’s anugraha in Khandava. Instead of remembering Krishna’s aid, arjuna remembers how agni gave him the quiver. So, his j~nAna did not rekindle.
किं नु मोक्ष्यामि धनुषा यन्मे बाणाः क्षयं गताः.अयं च पुरुषः कोपि बाणान्ग्रसति सर्वशः.अहमेनं धनुष्कोट्या रशूलाग्रेणेव कुञ्जरम्.नयामि दण्डधारस्य यमस्य सदनं प्रति+
[Arjuna - “What can I shoot from my bow when my arrows are exhausted? Who is this valorous person who is devouring my arrows? I will kill him with the tip of my bow just as elephants are killed by spears and send him to the abode of yama”]+ Arjuna still does not believe it is rudra who he sees as the supreme god. He considers him a “पुरुषः” - some valorous person with puNya. As arrows are lost, arjuna feels he can use his bow gANDIva to stab & drag the kirAta. Because the bow is unbreakable & irresistible by all.
प्रगृह्याथ धनुष्कोट्या ज्यापाशेनावकृष्य च । मुष्टिभिश्चापि हतवान्वज्रकल्पैर्महाद्युतिः ।
[Holding the curved end of his bow and dragging the kirAta with his bowstring, arjuna who is a splendorous AveSha of Hari, struck him with fists like thunderbolts.]
“महाद्युतिः” - The sole reason arjuna was strong enough to drag the kirAta (a god) is because he is the AveSha of bhagavAn, of great splendor. But without j~nAna, it was in vain.
Then, mahAdeva by his yoga-bala, snatches the gANDIva from him (तदप्यस्य धनुर्दिव्यं जग्राह)
The text says ततोऽर्जुनो ग्रस्तधनुः - One who is अर्जुन - who had earned the gANDIva due to his pure deeds, was bereft of it.
He does not relent and takes up a sword. But when he strikes kirAta, his weapon shatters (तस्य मूर्धानम् आसाद्य पफालासिवरो)+
Arjuna, weaponless, uses trees & rocks. The kirAta patiently waits until he is exhausted. Then, both fight with bare hands.
ततो जिष्णुः किरातमुरसा बली. पाण्डवं च विचेष्टन्तं किरातोप्यहनद्बलात् …तत एनं महादेवः पीड्य गात्रैः सुपीडितम् तेजसा व्याक्रमद् रोषाच् चेतस् तस्य विमोहयन्+
[Then Jishnu, the mighty, pressed the kirAta to his chest. The kirAta struck the pANDava with great force. Then, mahAdeva in anger, pressed arjuna’s limbs and afflicting him with his strength, made him senseless]+
“जिष्णुः” - Who has never known defeat in battle as he is “बली”. Thus, he did not give up fighting.
kirAta was महादेव - a great god, who was angry (रोष) thinking, “Even when weaponless, he does not give up relying on his strength, so let me end this”. So arjuna was no match
ततोऽभिपीडितैर्गात्रैः पिण्डीकृत इवाबभौ । फल्गुनो गात्रसंरुद्धो देवदेवेन भारत ।
[Then his body afflicted, was made into a ball of flesh. Phalguna’s body was made incapable of movement by the god of gods.]
Arjuna falls unconscious. We will see what happens next week
PART 9
निरुच्छ्वासोऽभवच्चैव सन्निरुद्धो महामनाः.ततः पपात संमूढस्ततः प्रीतोऽभवद्भवः
[The wise Arjuna’s breathing stopped, restrained (in activity). He then fell down unconscious & Bhava became pleased]. Arjuna who was labelled ignorant previously, is now suddenly called wise (महामना). Rudra became pleased (प्रीतोऽभवद्भव) when he swooned. What is the reason for all this?
We can understand why when seeing the definition of unconscious state as per lakshmi tantra, as below+
मूर्छाविषोपघातादौ प्राणोऽपि विनिवर्तते .केवलं स्वात्मसत्तैव ततः शून्यस्तदा पुमान् (~ lakshmi tantra 7.21)
[During unconsciousness, poisoning etc. even prANa stops functioning. The jIva is in union with his innerself (Brahman) & is शून्य -void of external cognition or activity]+ When unconscious, arjuna was inactive & couldn’t exert self-effort. This is Akinchanyam. In this state, only Brahman is cognized. This is Ananyagatitvam.
What results from Akinchanyam & ananyagatitvam? It is sharaNAgati.
Arjuna had not voluntarily surrendered to bhagavAn. However, bhagavAn felt - “He stopped breathing, so he only depends on me to live. He can only see me when unconscious. I regard this as sharaNAgati”. This was mahAdeva’s aim all along. When bhagavAn is pleased, so is rudra who is his body. As he himself says,
त्वदुपासा जगन्नाथ सैवास्तु मम गोपते (~ HarivamSha)
[Shiva told Krishna - “जगन्नाथ! गोपति! What worship is directed to you, is as if mine (as you are my innerself).”]
“जगन्नाथ” – Master of the Universe that is his body,
“गोपति” –Master of Speech, as all words only denote him as the innerself (sarvashabda-vAchya).
So, प्रीतोऽभवद्भव - Bhava, who abides in the true nature of his self as a body of Brahman, felt arjuna’s sAdhana was complete+
स मुहूर्तं तथा भूत्वा सचेताः पुनर् उत्थितः.रुधिरेणाप्लुताङ्गस् तु पाण्डवो भृशदुःखित:
[After awhile the pANDava with bloodied limbs again acquired consciousness & felt grieved]
“पाण्डव” - Arjuna is now again a sAttvika+
As he regained consciousness, he regained his knowledge of hari sarvottamatva due to sharaNAgati.
He had no knowledge of doing sharaNAgati actually because he never did --- it was bhagavAn who considered his unconscious state as sharaNAgati. But he had regained his j~nAna+
Due to j~nAna, he also recognized the kirAta as mahAdeva.
He felt sad (भृशदुःखितः) for committing a sin of worshipping mahAdeva independently & also fighting him.
Thus, he now sets about worshipping mahAdeva to cleanse that doSha. Though it was unnecessary actually. He needn’t have worried. mahAdeva was already pleased when he fell unconscious, as bhagavAn considered that state of his as sharaNAgati. But arjuna did not know that! That’s why he never tells his brothers he performed self-surrender for acquiring weapons. All he knew when he woke up was he had true j~nAna now & felt he had committed great sins, so he did prAyashchitta prapatti. A prapanna has no doShAs in bhagavAn’s eyes, so arjuna had no doSha in mahAdeva’s eyes too. But arjuna did not know that.
शरण्यं शरणं गत्वा भगवन्तं पिनाकिनम् . [Arjuna sought the refuge of bhagavAn pinAki (prAyashchitta prapatti), who is worthy of being surrendered to.]
“भगवान्” denotes only vishNu, so “भगवन्तं पिनाकिनम्” means he surrendered to rudra as vishNu-pratIka.
This time, his pratIkopAsana was perfect; as he had perfect j~nAna from sharANagati!
मृन्मयं स्थण्डिलं कृत्वा माल्येनापूजयद् भवम् [He made a sacrificial altar of Earth & with flowers, worshipped Bhava.]
"स्थण्डिलं" means “चत्वरम्”- a sacrificial altar made of Earth (मृन्मयं)+
Arjuna cannot not move due to injuries. So he scooped Earth near where he lay & made an altar. Why did he do this? As he made an error of worshipping Hara as supreme, he now wanted to worship Hara correctly. So rather than worship kirAta directly, he did the following+
bhUmi is closely related to the feet of Hari. Thus puruSha sUkta says “पद्भ्यां भूमिर्” - Earth arose from his feet.
vedAnta desikan in pAduka sahasram (shloka 85) also says “क्षमा…त्वम्” - “pAduka! You are verily bhUmi, who is forebearance personified”+
So arjuna worshipped bhagavAn’s feet with bhU devI (altar) for mediation.
माल्येनापूजयद् भवम्- He offered flowers strewn on the ground to the Earthen altar as vessel of bhagavAn’s pAduka. By that he worshipped भव- who abides in Atma-j~nAna, seeing himself as subservient to Hari+
mahAdeva has connection to bhUmi & hari-pAda. Ganga on his head came from Hari’s feet & is mixed with the sand (bhUmi) of it’s banks.
Arjuna worshipped rudra this way & not directly as he had committed a sin of worshipping mahAdeva independently. Thus, he tells his brothers.
ततश् चिन्तां समगमं पूजयिष्याम्य् अहं पुनः .इति पुष्पाणि संगृह्य सैकतं शंकरं प्रभुम्
[Arjuna told his brothers - “Then, my thoughts returning again, I thus worshipped with flowers the master of yogIs, shankara, associated with the sand (Earth)”]+
Arjuna says, “I worshipped शंकर- who did good to me, प्रभु - a powerful yogI who bestowed j~nAna to me, सैकत - ever associated the sandy grains of the Ganga in his locks.
Ie, सैकत - As he is associated with bhUmi (sand) & the feet of Hari (Ganga), I worshipped him that way
Thus we have the pramANa
जाह्नवीपुलिनोत्थाभिः सिकताभिः समुक्षितम्. आत्मानं मन्यते लोको दिविष्ठमिव शोभितम्
[One who sprinkles himself with sand grains taken from the shores of Ganga can regard himself adorned like a resident of Sri Vaikuntha (a mukta) is adorned by nitya sUrIs]
Hence, unlike his penance, the kirAta accepts this worship as below.
तच् च माल्यं तदा पार्थः किरातशिरसि स्थितम् अपश्यत् पाण्डवश्रेष्ठो हर्षेण प्रकृतिं गतः
[pArtha saw those flowers on the head of the Kirata. The foremost of pANDavAs with joy regained his normal self]+ So, when Arjuna offered flowers to the altar (bhUmi) he mentally imagined to contain bhagavad-pAduka, the flowers fell on kirAta’s head. By this he had clear vision of tAratamya - Hara bearing on his head flowers offered to Hari’s feet. Vivid perception dispels all delusion+
Arjuna already knew who kirAta was by his j~nAna. He was overjoyed at seeing flowers on his head, because he felt his prAyashchitta for the sin of devatAntara-bhajanam & fighting mahAdeva was accepted. So, he reverted back to his normal self, freed of fear+
He tells his brothers this.
पूजयिष्यंस् तम् अद्राक्षं किरातं पुष्पधारिणम् ततश् चान्यानि पुष्पाणि पूजयिष्यन् पुनः पुनः . तानि सर्वाणि दृष्ट्वाहं किरातस्य च मूर्धनि . इति कृत्वा महादेवं प्रणतो ऽस्मि पुनः पुनः+
[Arjuna told his brothers - “Having worshipped Shiva (by worshipping bhagavAn’s feet) & seeing the Kirata bear those flowers, I worshipped him again & again with other flowers. I saw all those flowers on the head of the Kirata. Doing this, I bowed to Mahadeva again and again”]+
“तम् अद्राक्षं किरातं पुष्पधारिणम्” - I saw flowers offered to viShNu’s feet to please mahAdeva, on the Kirata’s head. This showed me that whatever be his form or state, mahAdeva always has bhakti bhAva only. Thus I offered more flowers & bowed to him repeatedly for atonement+
So he performed this prAyashchitta for sins, though mahAdeva did not require it.
पपात पादयोस्तस्य ततः प्रीतोऽभवद्भवः
[He fell at the feet of Bhava (after worship), who then became pleased]+
Now, mahAdeva was already pleased when he fell unconscious. Why say he is pleased again now?
By sharaNAgati (state of unconsciousness), mahAdeva was pleased as he felt arjuna’s sAdhana was complete & had earned the weapons.
Now, he is pleased seeing arjuna worship him the right way as vishNu-pratIka rather than as supreme.
PART 10
उवाच चैनं वचसा मेघगम्भीरगीर् हरः .जातविस्मयम् आलोक्य ततः क्षीणाङ्गसंहतिम्
[Hara spoke in a majestic voice like the rumbling of clouds, seeing with wonder Arjuna who was a mass of injured limbs]
"हर" - Arjuna now sees mahAdeva as bhagavad vibhUti+
Thus, he says “अमरत्वम् अपाहाय ब्रूहि यत् ते मनोगतम्” - “Completely shunning the idea that I am Parabrahman & thus connected with moksha-puruShArtha, seek your desire from me, seeing me only as pratIka of Brahman”. This is to make sure arjuna does not succumb to delusion again+
ततो देवं महादेवं गिरिशं शूनपाणिनम्.ददर्श फल्गुनस्तत्र सह देव्या महाद्युतिम्
[Then Phalguna saw the god mahAdeva, who bears the shUla, is the ruler of the Himavat, is with umA & of great lustre. The names of Rudra imply that Arjuna saw him clearly now as distinct from nArAyaNa+
“देवं महादेवं”- महादेव is one who did sarvamedha yAga as per “महादेव: सर्वमेधे” (shAnti parva). He is a jIva occupying a post.
Arjuna saw him as distinct from nArAyaNa who gave fruit of sarvamedha as per Rg Veda 7.40.5- “विष्णोरेषस्य प्रभृथे हविर्भिः. विदे हि रुद्रो रुद्रियं"+
“शूनपाणिनम्” - He bears a shUla, a weapon for killing showing he is a bhagavad-vibhUti for destruction. bhagavAn in contrast bears Chakra, a weapon for protection.
Thirumangai AzhwAr says “konnavilum vEl” (the shUla kills). NammAzhwAr says “aRamuyal Azhi” (the Chakra protects)+
“गिरिशं”- Whose abode is Himavat, a hard (stony) place suiting his merciless duty of destruction. It is also a cold place for him to ward off heat of his tapas.
It is distinct from the soft, cool ocean abode of bhagavAn, the sAttvika god who is cool & merciful like the ocean.
“सह देव्या” - He has umA as half of his body, unlike Hari who has shrI on his chest. The Vedas say Brahman is the consort of shrI as per “श्रद्धया देवो देवत्वम् अश्नुते” & “ह्रीश्च ते लक्ष्मीश्च पत्न्यौ”.
Only shrIya-pati is Brahman, while umApati is a sAdhaka+
Uma aids Hara in his own sAdhana.
Lakshmi aids Hari in granting fruits of sAdhana.
umApati has umA on his left side;
shrIpati has shrI on the right side of his chest.
Rudra married umA after seeing the greatness of shrI as a consort; all this shows their differences.
“महाद्युति” - This refers to rudra’s antaryAmin, nArAyaNa who is महाद्युति as he possesses great lustre which distinguishes him, the sarvAntaryAmin from others (like rudra) who are his bodies & which imparts j~nAna to his devotees.
Arjuna directly saw that antaryAmin also+
“फल्गुन” - One who was Rishi Nara in a previous birth, clearly saw this.
All of the above is very much echoing poigai azhwar’s pAsuram - “araN nAraNan nAmam” where he differentiates Hari from Hara in this manner.
स जानुभ्यां महीं गत्वा शिरसा प्रणिपत्य च । प्रसादयामास हरं पार्थः परपुरंजयः
[Going down on his knees & bending his head to the ground, pArtha, the destroyer of cities, worshipped Hara for favor (of weapons) ]+
"पार्थः परपुरंजयः” - As he is “पार्थः” - Krishna’s relative, he is “परपुरंजयः” - capable of destroying the cities of foes like duryodhana.
Ie, even before attaining weapons, bhagavAn has resolved Arjuna will defeat the Kauravas due to his sharaNAgati+
“हर” - He worshipped mahAdeva correctly, seeing him as the destroyer and vibhUti.
PART 11
