OM shaanith shaantih shaantih

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This was posted on the advaitin list...thanks to cdrbvn...ji

 

Pasupata:

In Mahabharata Arjuna as advised by Vyasa went to Himalayas to

practice austerities for the purpose of getting new weapons. After

passing through dense forests he reached the mountain Indrakila,

where he met an old brahmana. The ascetic smiled and spoke

affectionately to Arjuna: "child, you are clad in armour and carry

weapons. Who are you? Weapons are of no use here. What do you seek in

this garb of a Kshatriya in this abode of ascetics and saints who have

conquered anger and passion?" that was Indra, the king of god's, who

has come to have the pleasure of meeting his son.

 

Arjuna bowed to his father and said: "I seek arms; bless me with weapons."

 

Indira replied: "O Dhananjaya, what is the use of weapons? Ask for

pleasures or seek to go to higher worlds for enjoyment."

 

Arjuna answered: "O king of gods, I do not seek pleasures of higher

worlds. I have come here after leaving Panchali and my brothers in

the forest. I seek but weapons."

 

Indira said: "if you be blessed by the vision of god Siva, the three

eyed god, and obtain his grace, you will receive divine weapons. Do

penance unto Siva."

 

Arjuna went to the Himalayas and did penance to obtain the grace of

Siva. Siva under the guise of a hunter and accompanied by his divine

spouse Umadevi, entered the forest in pursuit of game. The chase grew

fast and furious, and presently a wild boar started charging Arjuna,

who shot an arrow into it with his Gandiva at the same moment that

the hunter Siva transfixed it with a shaft from Pinaka, his bow.

 

Arjuna shouted in loud voice: "who are you? Why are you ranging in

this forest with your wife? How dare you shoot at the game I had

aimed at?"

The hunter replied as though in contempt: "this forest, full of game,

belongs to us, who live in it. You do not look tough enough to be a

forester; it is rather for me to ask what you are doing here." He

also added that it was his shaft that had killed the boar and that,

if Arjuna thought differently, he was welcome to fight about it.

 

Nothing could please Arjuna better. He jumped up and showered snake

like arrows at Siva. To his amazement, they seemed to have no effect

on the hunter and fell back hurtles. When he had no arrows he started

to strike Siva with bow, but the hunter wrenched with ease the bow of

Arjuna's hand and burst into laughter. Arjuna who had been disarmed

with humiliating ease by one who seemed an ordinary hunter of the

forest, was struck with amazement, he drew his sword and continued

the combat. The sword was shivered to pieces on the hunter's

adamantine frame. There was now nothing to do but to grapple with the

formidable unknown; but here again he was outmatched. The hunter

caught him in an iron clasp so close that Arjuna was quite helpless.

 

Worsted and overmatched, "Arjuna humbly sought divine aid and

meditated on Siva, and as he did so, a light broke on his troubled

mind and at once he knew who the hunter really was".

 

He fell at the feet of the lord and, in a broken voice of repentance

and adoration, he prayed for forgiveness. "I forgive you," said Siva

smilingly and gave him back Gandiva, as well as other weapons, of

which he had been deprived. He also bestowed on Arjuna the marvelous

Pasupata weapon.

 

Arjuna was overcome with joy and exclaimed: "Have I really seen the

Lord face and have I been blessed with his divine touch? What more do

I need?"

 

Extracts from Mahabharata by Sri Rajaji.

 

 

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