P for Pasupata Astra: The Battle Between Shiva and Arjuna - Mahabharata Mashup

Namaste, 

Have you heard of the battle between Shiva and Arjuna? This event happened in Aranyaka Parva when Arjuna was performing tapasya to please Rudra-Shiva and ask him for the Pasupata Astra. 

Shiva changed his form into a hunter from the Kirata tribe and went to the mountaintop where Arjuna was his tapasya. Parvati Maa and a group of devotees followed Shiva and were witnesses to the duel. 

Both Shiva and Arjuna spotted a boar advancing Arjuna and shot it with their arrows. The boar fell dead, revealing its original form as a demon that came to attack Arjuna. 

Shiva picked up a fight with Arjuna by asking why he aimed at the boar. Arjuna said Shiva had no right to kill it since the boar was about to attack Arjuna (Arjuna killing it would be self-defense). Things escalated, and soon, they went from the war of words to direct war. 

During the fight (with bows and arrows), Arjuna’s subconscious prodded, hinting at the truth. More than once, he considered the idea that the hunter-man could be Shiva in disguise. Yet, he continued with the fight. They even got into a fistfight at one point, and Arjuna fell unconscious from the impact. As he regained consciousness, he prayed to Shiva, visualizing his acts of worship. 

When Arjuna opened his eyes, he found the hunter standing before him, wearing the same garland and flowers Arjuna mentally offered to Shiva. He then realized that his intuition was right. He fell at Shiva's feet and worshipped him again. 

Pleased, Shiva blessed Arjuna and gifted him the powerful Pasupata astra (also known as Brahmasira) and shared the mantra to summon it. Shiva advised that the astra should not be used without reason or at a weak enemy. 

Interestingly, Arjuna doesn’t use the Pasupata astra during the war, not for Bhishma or even Karna. It remained unused throughout. However, this episode is vital as it reinforces the role of Gods in the events that occur afterward. 

Moreover, Shiva had a prominent role in Mahabharata even though Krishna (Vishnu) was the key player. He gave a boon to Amba to take revenge on Bhishma. He gave a boon to Draupadi in her past life. As the god of destruction, Shiva ruled over the battlefield and was sighted by Arjuna (in Drona Parva). He was invoked by Ashwatthaman in Sauptika Parva. Ashwattaman then went on a killing spree by butchering the sleeping warriors in the Pandava camp. The Parva ends with praising the glory of Rudra (the Rudra avatar of Shiva). 

Check out this thread by Sutradhar to know more! 

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