देवदेव उवाच नरसवं पूर्वदेहे वै नारायणसहायवान्। बदाँ तप्तवानुचं तपो वर्षायुतान् बहून्॥
Shiva said: You were in your former life Nara, the friend of Narayana, You passed many thousands of years in fearful and austere asceticism.
त्वयि वा परमं तेजो विष्णौ वा पुरुषोत्तमे। युवाभ्यां पुरुषाच्याभ्यां तेजसाधार्यते जगत्॥
Great prowess exists in you and in Vishnu, that foremost of Purushas. You two by your prowess hold the Universe.
शक्राभिषेके सुमहद्धनुर्जलदनिःस्वनम्। प्रगृह्य दानवाः शस्तास्त्वया कृष्णेन च प्रभो॥
O lord, taking up that fearful bow whose twang resembled the deep roars of clouds, you as well as Krishna chastised the Danavas at the coronation of Indra.
तदेतदेव गाण्डीवं तव पार्थ करोचितम्। मायामास्थाय यद् चस्तं मया पुरुषसत्तम॥
O Partha this Gandiva which is fit for (only) your hands is that very bow (with which you chastised the Danavas). O foremost of men. I snatched it from you by means of my power of illusion.
तूणौ चाप्यक्षयौ भूयस्तव पार्थ यथोचितौ। भविष्यति शरीरं च नीरुजं कुरनन्दन॥
O Partha, these two quivers which is fit only for you, will again be inexhaustible. O descendant of Kuru, your body will be free from pain and disease.
प्रीतिमानस्मि ते पार्थ भवान् सत्यपराक्रमः! गृहाण वरमस्मत्तः काक्षितं पुरुषोत्तम्॥
O Partha, your prowess will be incapable of being ever baffled. I have been pleased with you. O foremost of men, ask from me, what you desire to get.
न त्वया पुरुषः कश्चित् पुमान् मर्येषु मानद। दिवि वा वर्तते क्षत्रं त्वत्प्रधानमरिंदम्॥
O giver of proper respect (to all men), O chastiser of foes, there is no man either here on earth or in heaven who is cqual to you (in prowess). Nor there is any Kshatriya who is superior to you.
अर्जुन उवाच भगवन् ददासि चेन्मह्यं कामं प्रीत्या वृषध्वज। कामये दिव्यमस्त्रं तद् घोरं पाशुपतं प्रभो॥ यत् तद् ब्रह्मशिरो नाम रौद्रं भीमपराक्रमम्। युगान्ते दारुणे प्राप्ते कृत्स्नं संहरते जगत्॥
Arjuna said : O exalted one, O Vrishabdhvaja. O lord, if you will grant me what I desire to possess, I ask from you that fearful weapon which is wielded by you and which is called Brahmashira, that weapon of fearful prowess, which destroys at the end of Yuga the entire universe.
कर्णभीष्मकृपद्रोणैर्भविता तु महाहवः। त्वत्प्रसादान्महादेव जयेयं तान् यथा युधि॥
That weapon, with the help of which, O great god, I may through your grace obtain victory in the great battle that will be fought by me with Karna, Bhishma, Kripa and Drona,
दहेयं थेन संग्रमे दानवान् राक्षसांस्तथा। भूतानि च पिशाचाश्च गन्धर्वानथ पन्नगान्॥ यस्मिञ्छूलसहस्राणि गदाश्चोचप्रदर्शनाः। शराश्चाशीविषाकारा: सम्भवन्त्यनुमन्त्रिते॥
The weapon by which I may destroy in battle the Danavas, the Rakshasas, the evil spirits, the Pishachas, the Gandharvas and the Nagas. The weapon which when hurled with Mantras produces thousands of darts, maces and virulently poisonous snake-like arrows.
युध्येयं येन भीष्मेण द्रोणेन च कृपेण च। सूतपुत्रेण च रणे नित्यं कटुकभाषिणा॥
The weapon by the help of which I may fight with Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and the ever abusive son of Suta (Karna).
एष कामो मे प्रथमः भगवन् भगनेत्रहन्। त्वत्प्रसादाद् विनिर्वृत्तः समर्थः स्यामहं यथा॥
O exalted destroyer of Vaga's eyes, my chief desire is that I may be able to fight with them and finally obtain victory.
भव उवाच ददामि तेऽस्त्रं दयितमहं पाशुपतं विभो। समर्थोधारणे मोक्षे संहारे चासि पाण्डव॥
Shiva said: O exalted Pandava, I shall give you my favourite weapon called Pashupata. You are capable of holding, hurling and withdrawing it.
नैतद् वेद महेन्द्रोऽपि न यमो न च यक्षराट्। वरुणोऽप्यथवा वायुः कुतो वेत्स्यन्ति मानवाः॥
Neither Indra, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu knows it, how could it (then) be known to human beings?
न त्वेतत् सहसा पार्थ मोक्तव्यं पुरुषे क्वचित्। जगद् विनाशयेत् सर्वमल्पतेजसि पातितम्॥
O Partha, this weapon should not be discharged without proper reason, for if discharged at a weak enemy, it would destroy the whole universe.
अवध्यो नाम नास्त्यत्र त्रैलोक्ये सचराचरे। मनसा चक्षुषा वाचाधनुषा च निपातयेत्॥
There is none in the three worlds of mobile and immobile creatures who is incapable of being killed by this weapon. It might be discharged by the mind, by the eyes, by words or by the bow.
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छ्रुत्वा त्वरितः पार्थः शुचिर्भूत्वा समाहितः। उपसंगम्य विश्वेशमधीष्वेत्यथ सोऽब्रवीत्॥
Vaishampayana said : Having heard this, the son of Pritha (Arjuna) purified himself. Coming to the lord of the universe with rapt attention, he said, "Instruct me.”
ततस्त्वध्यापयामास सरहस्यनिवर्तनम्। तदस्त्रं पाण्डवश्रेष्ठं मूर्तिमन्तमिवान्तकम्॥ उपतस्थे च तत् पार्थं यथा त्र्यक्षमुमापतिम्। प्रतिजग्राह तच्चापि प्रीतिमानर्जुनस्तदा॥
He (Shiva) then imparted to that best of Pandavas the knowledge of that weapon which looked like the embodiment of Yama and (also) all the mysteries as regards its method of discharging and withdrawing. That weapon then waited upon Partha as it did before upon Traksha, the lord of Uma. Arjuna with cheerful heart accepted it.
ततश्चचाल पृथिवी सपर्वतवनद्रुमा। ससागरवनोद्देशा संग्रमनगराकरा॥
Thereupon the whole earth with its mountains, forests, trees, seas, woods, villages, towns and mines, began to tremble.
शङ्खदुन्दुभिघोषाश्च भेरीणां च सहस्रशः। तस्मिन् मुहूर्ते सम्प्राप्ते निर्घातश्च महानभूत्॥
Sounds of thousands of conchs, drums and trumpets were heard. Hurricanes and whirlwinds began to blow.
अथास्त्रं जाज्वलद् घोरं पाण्डवस्यामितौजसः। मूर्तिमद् वै स्थितं पार्वे ददृशुर्देवदानवाः॥
The celestials and the Danavas saw that fearful weapon in its embodied from standing at the side of the immeasurably energetic and heroic Pandava.
स्पृष्टस्य त्र्यम्बकेणाथ फाल्गुनस्यामितौजसः। यत् किंचिदशुभं देहे तत् सर्वं नाशमीयिवत्॥
Whatever evil there was in the body of the immeasuraely energetic Falguni (Arjuna) was all dispelled by his touch with the three-eyed deity.
स्वर्ग गच्छेत्यनुज्ञातस्त्र्यम्बकेण तदार्जुनः। प्रणम्य शिरसा राजन् प्राञ्जालर्देवमैक्षत॥
Then Arjuna was commanded by the threeeyed deity to "Go to heaven." O king, bowing down his head, he gazed at him with joined hands.
ततः प्रभुस्त्रिदिवनिवासिनां वशी महामतिर्गिरिश उमापतिः शिवः। धनुर्महद दितिजपिशाचसूदनं ददौ भवः पुरुषवराय गाण्डिवम्॥
Then the lord of all the dwellers of heaven, the deity of blazing splendour, the dweller of mountain, the husband of Uma, Shiva, the source of all blessings. Bhava, gave to Arjuna, that foremost of men, the great bow called Gandharva, capable of destroying the Danavas and the Pishachas.
ततः शुभं गिरिवरमीश्वरस्तदा। सहोमया सिततटसानुकन्दरम्। विहाय तं पतगमहर्षिसेवितं जगाम खं पुरुषवरस्य पश्यत॥
The god of gods, accompanied by Uma then leaving that blessed mountain of snowy plateaus and valleys and caves, the favourite resort of the sky-ranging Rishis, went up to the skies in the very sight of that foremost of men (Arjuna).