29. PASUPATA :

IN the beginning of their stay in the forest,
Bhima and Draupadi used, on occasions,
to argue with Yudhishthira.


They would plead that only righteous
anger befitted a kshatriya and that
patience and forbearance under slights and
insults were not worthy of him.


They would quote weighty authorities and
argue vehemently in support of their
contention. Yudhishthira would firmly
reply that they should abide by the
promise they had made and that
forbearance was the highest virtue of all.


Bhima was burning with impatience to
attack and kill Duryodhana immediately
and win back the kingdom. He thought it
unworthy of warriors to continue to dwell
tamely in the forest.


Bhima said to Yudhishthira: "You speak
like those who repeat Vedic mantras and
are satisfied with the sound of the words
though ignorant of their meaning. Your
intellect has become confused. You are
born as a kshatriya and yet you do not
think or behave like one. You have
become a brahmana by temperament. You
know, the scriptures enjoin on a kshatriya
sternness and enterprise. We should not
let the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra have
their way. Vain is the birth of a kshatriya
who does not conquer his deceitful
enemies. This is my opinion, and to me, if
we go to hell by killing a deceitful foe,
such hell is heaven. Your forbearance
burns us worse than fire. It scorches
Arjuna and myself day and night, making
us sleepless. Those miscreants have seized
our kingdom by fraud and are enjoying it,
while you lie torpid like a gorged python.
You say that we should abide by our
promise. How can the world-renowned
Arjuna live incognito? Can the Himalayas
be hidden under a handful of grass? How
can the lion-hearted Arjuna, Nakula and
Sahadeva live in hiding? Can the famous
Draupadi walk about unrecognized by
others? Even if we do these impossible
things, the son of Dhritarashtra will find
out through his spies. Hence, this promise
of ours is impossible of performance and
has been put on us merely to thrust us out
again for another thirteen years. The
sastras too support me when I say that a
filched promise is no promise. A handful
of grass thrown to a tired bull ought to be
enough as expiation for breaking such a
promise. You should resolve to kill our
enemies immediately. There is no higher
duty for a kshatriya."


Bhima was never tired of pressing his
view. Draupadi also would refer to the
dishonor she had suffered at the hands of
Duryodhana, Karna and Duhsasana and
would quote authorities from the
scriptures that would give Yudhishthira
anxiety to think.


He would sometimes answer with
common maxims of politics and refer to
the relative strength of the parties. He
would say: "Our enemy has such
adherents as Bhurisravas, Bhishma,
Drona, Karna and Aswatthama.


Duryodhana and his brothers are expert in
warfare. Many feudatory princes, as well
as mighty monarchs, are now on their
side. Bhishma and Drona, indeed, have no
respect for Duryodhana's character, but
will not give him up and are prepared to
sacrifice their lives on his side in the
battlefield. Karna is a brave and skilful
fighter, well versed in the use of all the
weapons. The course of war is
unpredictable and success is uncertain.
There is no use in being hasty." Thus
Yudhishthira managed with difficulty to
restrain the impatience of the younger
Pandavas.


Later, as advised by Vyasa, Arjuna went
to the Himalayas to practise austerities for
the purpose of getting new weapons from
the devas. Arjuna took leave of his
brothers and went to Panchali to bid her
farewell.


She said: "O Dhananjaya, may you
prosper in your mission. May God give
you all that Kuntidevi hoped and wished
for when you were born. The happiness,
life, honor and prosperity of us all depend
on you. Return after acquiring new
weapons." Thus Panchali sent him forth
with auspicious words.


It is noteworthy that though the voice was
Draupadi the wife's, yet the benediction
was Kunti the mother's for the words
were: "May God give all that Kuntidevi
wished and hoped for when you were
born."


Arjuna passed through dense forests and
reached the mountain of Indrakila, where
he met an old brahmana. The ascetic
smiled and spoke affectionately to Arjuna:
"Child, you are clad in armor 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
gods, who came to have the pleasure of
meeting his son.


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


The thousand-eyed 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."


Thus saying Indra disappeared. Then,
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 bow at the same moment that the
hunter Siva transfixed it with a shaft from
his Pinaka 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. Your limbs and
bearing bespeak a soft luxurious life. 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 be 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 hurtless like storm-driven
rain from a mountain peak.


When he had no more arrows, he started
to strike Siva with his bow. But the hunter
seemed not to heed it and wrenched with
ease the bow out 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, almost amounting to
doubt. But undaunted, he drew his sword
and continued the combat.


The sword was split into 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 overmastered, Arjuna
humbly sought divine aid and meditated
on Siva. 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 his
Gandiva bow, as well as the other
weapons, of which he had been deprived.
He also bestowed on Arjuna the
marvellous Pasupata weapon.


Arjuna's body, battered in the unequal
combat, was made whole and perfect by
the divine touch of the three-eyed god and
became a hundred fold stronger and more
brilliant than before.


"Go to heaven and render dutiful respect
to your father Indra," said Siva and
vanished from view like the setting sun.
Arjuna was overcome with joy and
exclaimed: "Have I really seen the Lord
face to face and have I been blessed with
his divine touch? What more do I need?"
At that moment, Matali, the charioteer of
Indra, came there with his chariot and
took Arjuna to the kingdom of the gods.