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28.PASUPATA
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.
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