Vaishampayana said:
1. Shakra having left for his own abode. Vivatsu together with (his) brothers and Krishna paid homage to the son of Dharma.
2. Having smelt the head of the Pandava Arjuna who was bowing down to him, (the son of Dharma), highly glad, addressed (him) in words, broken on account of joy, thus
3. “O Arjuna, how have you spent this period in heaven? And how have you obtained the weapons and pleased the king of the gods?
4. O Pandava, have you thoroughly secured the weapons? Have the king of the gods and Rudra cheerfully given you the weapons?
5. How did you see the divine Shakra and the wielder of the Pinaka (Shiva) and how did you obtain the weapons and how did you worship (them),
6. And what good service you rendered to that tormentor of foes the worshipful performer of hundred sacrifices that he said “I have been pleased with you,”
7. All this, O you of brilliant lustre, I am desirous of hearing in detail. O pure one, how Mahadeva and the king of the gods were pleased (with you).
8. What good (service) you rendered to the wielder of the thunderbolt-the tormentor of foes, O Dhananjaya, relate to me (all) this fully”
Arjuna replied:
9. Listen, O great king, in what manner I beheld the divine performer of hundred sacrifices and worshipful Shankara.
10. O destroyer of foes, having studied that (branch of) learning as directed by you, I repaired to the forest at your command for practicing asceticism.
11. Having repaired from Kamyaktua Brigutunga and having spent there one night in practicing asceticism I met a Brahmana on the way.
12. He asked me ‘O son of Kunti, tell me where you will go’ O son of Kuru, thereupon, I related to him everything faithfully.
13. O best of kings, hearing me narrate faithfully (everything) that Brahmana became well disposed towards me and, O king, greeted me.
14. And being pleased, he said to me “practice asceticism. By asceticism you will soon behold the lord of the gods.”
15. Then, following his instructions I ascended the mountain Saisira (Himalayas) and began to practice asceticism, living on fruits and roots in the (first) month.
16. (And), O son of Pandu, I spent the second month living on water only and in the third I ate nothing at all.
17. In the fourth month I remained with upraised arms; and it is a wonder that my strength did not diminish.
18. And when the first day of the fifth month had passed away, there appeared before me a being having the appearance of a boar,
19. Ploughing the earth with his mouth, striking (it) will his feet, rubbing the ground with his belly and roving constantly to and fro in a frightful manner.
20. He was followed by another great being, in the shape of a hunter, armed with bow, arrows and sword and accompanied by females.
21. Then, taking up my bow and two inexhaustible quivers, I pierced that creature, causing the hair stand on the end, with an arrow.
22. The hunter too, drawing his strong bow simultaneously (with me), wounded him more efficiently, as if making my mind tremble.
23. And he said to me, O King, “why have you, disregarding the rules of hunting aimed at the animal first struck by me?
24. Stay (awhile), I will destroy your pride with these sharpened arrows.” Then that huge-bodied being taking up his bow rushed against me.
25. He then enveloped me entirely with mighty arrows (just) as a mountain (is covered with a mighty shower). I too, surrounded him with a mighty shower of shafts.
26. Then I pierced him with steady arrows of blazing points and inspired with mantras (just) as a mountain is pierced by a thunderbolt.
27. Thereupon his body became multiplied a hundred and a thousand times. (But) I pierced all his bodies with arrows.
28. Again, O Bharata, O great king, seeing that all his bodies became merged into one, I struck at it a second time.
29. He now assumed a diminutive body with large head and then a large body with a small head. And again assuming his former shape, he came before me to fight.
30. When, O most exalted of the Bharatas, I could not crush him with arrows in the combat, I aimed (at him) the mighty weapon presided over by the wind god.
31. (But) it was a wonder (to me) that I could not hurt him (even with that). And when that weapon produced no effect I was lost in great wonder.
32. Again O king, with a vigorous effort I covered him, in that encounter, with numerous mighty weapons.
33. I then discharged at him Sthunakarna, Varuna, Saravarsa, Ulvana, Salava and Asmavarsa weapons.
34. But, O king, he instantly devoured all those weapons discharged by me. And when all those had been swallowed up, I aimed (at him) the weapon presided over by Brahma.
35. He was then completely covered with flaming arrows (issuing from that weapon) and when thus covered with that mighty weapon his body began to expand.
36. Then on account of the energy of that weapon discharged by me, all the world became oppressed and all the points and the firmament became suddenly illuminated.
37. (But) that highly-energetic being instantly baffled even that weapon. And, O king, that weapon presided over by Brahma being destroyed, I was seized with a terrible fear.
38. Thereupon instantly taking up my bow and the inexhaustible quivers, I aimed at him, (but) that being devoured those weapons also.
39. All the weapons being (thus) baffled and devoured, that being and myself became engaged in a wrestling.
40. At first we dealt blows and then gave slaps; but unable to crush him, I (at last) fell down on the ground deprived of sensation.
41. Then, O great king, that being, giving forth a laugh, vanished with the women even at that very spot. And this struck me with wonder.
42. That divine being, having done this O great king, appeared in another divine form, wearing a wonderful garment.
43. (Then) that divine lord of the gods, Maheshvara, giving up the form of hunter, stood there resuming his own celestials appearance.
44. (Then) that very divine being, the wielder of the Pinaka, capable of assuming many shapes, having the bull for his emblem and bearing serpents, appeared before me with Uma.
45. He with the trident in his hand, coming up to me and seeing me ready for fight, O tormentor of foes, said “I am pleased (with you).”
46. Then, holding (my) bow and the two arrow-case furnished with inexhaustible shafts, that divine one returned them to me saying “crave some boon.
47. O son of Kunti, I am pleased (with you). Say what I shall do for you. Tell me, O hero, what is your wish. I will fulfill it.
48. Tell me what it is that you cherish in your mind if it be not immortality.” Thereupon with joined hands and with my mind bent on obtaining weapons,
49. And adoring him inwardly, I said these words “O god, if you are pleased with me, I crave this boon, (viz.).
50. I am to have a knowledge of all the weapons presided over by the gods.” Then the god, Traymbaka, said to me” I will give (them).
51. O Pandava, my own weapon, Rudra, shall ever be present to you.” (And) being satisfied (with me) he granted that mighty weapon, Pashupatha.
52. Having bestowed upon me that eternal weapon, Mahadeva said “this (weapon) shall by no means be discharged against men.
53. If hurled at a being of small energy it will burn up the universe. This powerful weapon can be discharged only when you will be hard pressed.
54. This celestials weapon, as baffling all the weapons, can at all times be discharged in order to ward off other weapons.
55. The god Vrishadhvaja (one having the bull for his emblem) being thus pleased, there remained manifest by my side that (weapon) capable of annihilating enemies and destroying the hostile forces,
56. Unrivalled and difficult to be endured by the gods, the Danavas and the Rakshasas. Commanded by him, I then sat down there,
57. (And) in my very sight he disappeared at that very spot.
Thus ends the hundred and sixty-seventh chapter, the colloquy between Arjuna and Yudhisthira in the Nivatakavacha Yuddha of the Vana Parva.