Since, today is the first Shravani Somvar, I thought we could discuss about Shivji in Mahabharat. Often times, due to popular show depictions, people think Shivji's role is very limited in Mahabharat. But that is not the case. He, along with Hari Narayanan, are the karta dhartas in Vyasdev's Mahabharat.
May be, we can discuss various stories about him in Mahabharat.
The story I wanted to post, was how Shivji was the one who brought about the birth Pandavas and Draupadi.
It so happens, that Lord Yama is busy in Yagna. Due to this, death has stopped and there is over population of humans on Earth. Then, Gods Indra, Varuna, Kaberle, Sadhyas, Rudra and other go to Brahmadeva and complain. He asks them why they are scared of humans. They tell him that humans have become immortal so there is no difference between then now. Brahmadev assures them that once Lord Yama completes his sacrifice, death of humans will resume again.
Hearing this, the Gods left for the place where the sacrifice was taking place. There they saw a lotus in River Ganga. They were surprised to see the lotus. Lord Indra goes to see where the lotuses are coming from. He sees a beautiful woman trying to fetch the water from Ganga, but she was crying and her tears were turning into Golden lotuses. He asks her who she is and why she is crying. She tells him she will tell him everything and takes him towards Himalaya.
There they see a Young, radiant, surrounded by beautiful women, man playing dice. Indra tries to gain his attention by telling him he is King Of Heavens. But he is ignored. Indra gets angry and repeats about himself. Seeing that Indra is getting angry, the Young man smiles and glances at him. Indra becomes paralyzed. He asks the weeping lady to bring Indra to him, and that he will remove the pride that has entered his heart. Lord Indra collapses when the lady touches him. The Young man is Mahadev himself. He asks Lord Indra to not act like this. He tells him that he Lord Indra has immense strength, so he should remove the head of the mountain and enter the centre of the hole and wait with others, who were like him. When Lord Indra sees the others like him there, he is saddened and asks whether he will become like them. Mahadev becomes angry at him and tells him that he insulted Lord Shiva in front of others. Lord Indra gets saddened at this, and asks Mahadev to show him way out. Mahadev smiles and tells him, him and earlier Indras would have to take birth in human form. He tells him that all of them will have the same fate. After sending lot of people towards their death, they will again the achieve the World of Indra. The earlier Indras agree, and say that let Gods Dharma, Vayu, Indra and Ashvins beget them on their human mother. Indra says with his seed, he will create a man who will achieve these tasks. Mahadev blesses them and grants their wish and tells them that the lady is Goddess Shri herself and she will be their wife.
This is how the birth and Pandavas and Draupadi being their wife was ordained by Lord Shiva. Then, they go to Lord Nayanan and he agrees.
This is a very interesting story, Devi. ❤️
In the epic Mahabharath, Lord Shiva is worshiped by all the prominent warriors, including Sri Krishna. Everyone, including Krishna, prays to Shiva for blessings and boons for their activities. Shiva grants Draupadi the blessing that she will be responsible for Bhishma's death.
Arjuna conducts a penance to appease Shiva and acquires divine weapons, such as the Pashupathastra from Shiva in the Aranyaka Parva (also Vana Parva,) Of all, who else but the destroyer God, Lord Shiva would bestow weapons of mass destruction to Arjuna?
Ashwathama is said to be the Avatar of Lord Shiva It was virtually impossible for anyone to kill or defeat him. He was born with a gem (Mani) on his forehead, which makes him more powerful than all the living beings lower than humans. It also protects him from hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
Born to Dronacharya and Kripi after many years of penance for a child, his birth was extraordinary. He came into the world neighing like a horse instead of crying. This ear-piercing noise was heard across the world, resulting in his being named Ashwatthama: 'the sacred voice, which relates to that of a horse.
[ Info from Veda Vyasa Virachita Mahabharatha ]
Originally posted by: Viswasruti
This is a very interesting story, Devi. ❤️
In the epic Mahabharath, Lord Shiva is worshiped by all the prominent warriors, including Sri Krishna. Everyone, including Krishna, prays to Shiva for blessings and boons for their activities. Shiva grants Draupadi the blessing that she will be responsible for Bhishma's death.
Arjuna conducts a penance to appease Shiva and acquires divine weapons, such as the Pashupathastra from Shiva in the Aranyaka Parva (also Vana Parva,) Of all, who else but the destroyer God, Lord Shiva would bestow weapons of mass destruction to Arjuna?
Ashwathama is said to be the Avatar of Lord Shiva It was virtually impossible for anyone to kill or defeat him. He was born with a gem (Mani) on his forehead, which makes him more powerful than all the living beings lower than humans. It also protects him from hunger, thirst, and fatigue.
Born to Dronacharya and Kripi after many years of penance for a child, his birth was extraordinary. He came into the world neighing like a horse instead of crying. This ear-piercing noise was heard across the world, resulting in his being named Ashwatthama: 'the sacred voice, which relates to that of a horse.
[ Info from Veda Vyasa Virachita Mahabharatha ]
@bold - do you mean Amba?
Shiva grants Draupadi the blessing that she will be responsible for Bhishma and others' death.
You are right, Devi, it is Amba who transformed into Shikhandi, to kill Bheeshma. But.....
Draupadi was the main cause of the Kurushetra war, and the deaths of all the Kuru rulers in the royal court of Duryodhan including him. On two occasions, Bheeshma was silent while Draupadi was insulted. His silence towards crimes committed by Duryodan in a dice game. And mainly, his silence while Draupadi was disrobed in front of all the kings and royal members, in the royal court.
Draupadi cursed all the silent observers on the court to die at the hands of the Pandavas in the impending MahaYudh.
Shiv oversaw the polyandrous marriage since it was critical for keeping the Pandavas united, which would be used to confront the great Duryodhan and his troops.
Though Shikhandi [Amba] was born to kill him, it was his silence at the royal court during the biggest sin that caused the war and his death. He advised Krishna and Yudhishtir to bring Shikhandi to the battlefield in order to beat him.
There was another angle to this that involved Drupada in this revenge story. Drupada wanted a son to kill Bhishma who scared him with his might and power. He performed austerities and pleased Shiva.
This incident happened much before Drupada’s humiliation of Drona and his Yajna to get Drishtadyumna and Draupadi.
Bhishma narrated this story to Duryodhan in Udyoga Parva (5.191).
Drupada requested Sadashiv for a son but Shiva said that he will have a child who is male and female. Shiva told him that destiny should take its own course.
Here we see Shiva connect the destiny of Amba with Drupada while setting the stage for Bhishma’s fall in the Kurukshetra War through Sikhandi’s presence.
Originally posted by: Viswasruti
Shiva grants Draupadi the blessing that she will be responsible for Bhishma and others' death.
You are right, Devi, it is Amba who transformed into Shikhandi, to kill Bheeshma. But.....
Draupadi was the main cause of the Kurushetra war, and the deaths of all the Kuru rulers in the royal court of Duryodhan including him. On two occasions, Bheeshma was silent while Draupadi was insulted. His silence towards crimes committed by Duryodan in a dice game. And mainly, his silence while Draupadi was disrobed in front of all the kings and royal members, in the royal court.
Draupadi cursed all the silent observers on the court to die at the hands of the Pandavas in the impending MahaYudh.
Shiv oversaw the polyandrous marriage since it was critical for keeping the Pandavas united, which would be used to confront the great Duryodhan and his troops.
Though Shikhandi [Amba] was born to kill him, it was his silence at the royal court during the biggest sin that caused the war and his death. He advised Krishna and Yudhishtir to bring Shikhandi to the battlefield in order to beat him.
There was another angle to this that involved Drupada in this revenge story. Drupada wanted a son to kill Bhishma who scared him with his might and power. He performed austerities and pleased Shiva.
This incident happened much before Drupada’s humiliation of Drona and his Yajna to get Drishtadyumna and Draupadi.
Bhishma narrated this story to Duryodhan in Udyoga Parva (5.191).
Drupada requested Sadashiv for a son but Shiva said that he will have a child who is male and female. Shiva told him that destiny should take its own course.
Here we see Shiva connect the destiny of Amba with Drupada while setting the stage for Bhishma’s fall in the Kurukshetra War through Sikhandi’s presence.
I guess that was the birth of Shikhandin, as also fulfilling Amba's boon.
Draupadi was never directly given a boon, she just becomes a cause.
Thanks for inviting me to this interesting topic! You have chosen an excellent place to start.
The story of the five Indras is told in Ādiparvan chapter 189 by Vyāsa to Drupada privately, excluding the Pāṇḍavas, Kuntī, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Kṛṣṇā Draupadī's absence has to be assumed.
All the Devas are performing a yajña together in Naimiṣ'āraṇya, and naturally, the duty of Yama is śāmitra - slaughtering the sacrificial animals. Ironically, this means that Yama does not take any life from populations not consecrated for yajña. The story foreshadows the great war in which not only human but numerous horse and elephant lives will be lost.
The crying woman does not say that she will tell Indra; she says tvaṃ vetsyase - you will know - and draṣṭā'si - you'll witness - the cause for which she cries. The young man playing dice is described as darśanīyam - fit to be seen (not "radiant" like something too bright to see), siṃh'āsanasthaṃ - seated on a throne, and yuvatī-sahāyam - accompanied by a young woman. (I interpret one yuvatī, not two or more as in "surrounded by beautiful women," because all other dice-games throughout Mahābhārata have only two players.) He finishes playing before asking the crying woman to bring Indra to him. He tells Indra that the others inside the mountain are tvad-vidhāḥ sūrya-bhāsaḥ - your type, sun-radiant, and indeed, Indra sees tulya-dyutīṃś caturo'nyān - four others of equal luminosity. Indra is punished for disrespecting the young man purastāt - earlier (not "in front of others").
Indra begs, draṣṭā śeṣasya bhagavaṃs tvaṃ bhav'ādya - now, lord, you be the watcher of what I have left, and the young man scoffs, n'aivaṃ-śīlāḥ śeṣam ih'āpnuvanti - those who behave thus don't find anything left here. These words signify that arrogance is punishable with death. The five will only survive by lying down in the canyon and taking human birth.
Why should we identify the young man with Śiva? The young man is identified as devaḥ - lord, bhagavān ugra-tejāḥ - prosperous lord of fierce energy, Giriśaḥ - mountain-ruler, vibhunā - lord, bahu-rūpam ugram - fierce one of many shapes, ugra-dhanvā - of fierce bow, deva-śreṣṭhaṃ - president of gods, and bhagavān ugra-dhanvā. Other than the name Giriśa, these are not words commonly used to adore Śiva in modern times.
When the young man takes the five Indras to Nārāyaṇa and they take birth on earth, Hari plucks one white hair and one black hair from his body, and those hairs enter Rohiṇī and Devakī, respectively, to become Baladeva and Kṛṣṇa Keśava, respectively. Note that this myth, in which Baladeva is directly conceived by Rohiṇī, contradicts the Harivaṃśa narrative that Baladeva was Devakī's seventh pregnancy, transferred to Rohiṇī by the Goddess Nidrā.
The story ends with Vyāsa granting divine sight to Drupada so that he can behold the Pāṇḍavas in their prior divine shapes.
This story is immediately followed by the story of a girl who asked Śaṃkara five times for a husband possessed of all qualities. We can infer that the girl became Śrī = Lakṣmī who waited, weeping, while Śaṃkara collected five Indras to fulfil the wish that he had granted.
Śiva's most famous appearance in Mahābhārata may be as the Kirāta who fights with Arjuna in Āraṇyakaparvan chapters 39-41.
Arjuna has come to Indrakīla in the snowy northern mountains, where Indra has instructed him to please Śiva, after which he will obtain divine missiles and proceed to heaven. Arjuna gradually eliminates his food intake over several months, and the great sages report to Pinākin - the God of the Pināka bow, Śitikaṇṭha - the dark-throated one, that Arjuna's austerities are creating smoke, his unknown intention afflicts them, and he must be stopped. Maheśvara Śarva assures the sages that Arjuna does not aspire to heaven, lordship, or longevity; his wish will be granted immediately.
Pinākapāṇi Hara - the destroyer with Pināka in hand - disguises himself as a Kirāta, tall like a golden tree or the golden Meru mountain, with Umā in similar garb, followed by variously costumed spirits and thousands of women. Along with birds, even trickling water falls silent in the forest as he approaches Arjuna. He notices Mūka Daitya in the shape of a boar, charging at Arjuna, who strings his Gāṇḍiva bow and declares that since Mūka is attacking him without provocation, he will kill Mūka first. Śaṃkara as the Kirāta rushes to stop Phalguna, saying, "I chose first this blue-cloud-coloured one!" Both of them shoot Mūka at the same time, who reverts to his Rākṣasa shape as he dies.
Arjuna mocks the Kirāta: "Who are you, wandering in a desolate forest, surrounded by a group of women? Aren't you afraid of this horrific forest, you of golden lustre? For what did you pierce this animal, my trophy, a Rākṣasa whom I encountered first? Was it a whim, or contempt? You won't escape me alive! What you did to me isn't the rule of hunting! So, I'll deprive you of life, mountaineer!"
The Kirāta replies, "This trophy became only my target first, and only my arrow took its life. You shouldn't tell others about your own defects, vain about your strength! You offended me, fool by nature! You won't escape me alive! Stand firm; I'll shoot arrows like meteorites, and you try with all your might; you too shoot arrows!"
They both strike each other with arrows. Pinākadhṛk is unhurt, and Dhanaṃjaya is surprised. He wonders if this lord could be Rudra himself, the Yakṣa, master of celestials, since encounters with the Thrice Ten Gods are known to happen atop the supreme mountain. Only Pinākin could withstand such arrows. If this is anyone but Rudra, Jiṣṇu resolves to kill him, and he shoots arrows at Śūlapāṇi like the sun shooting rays until he runs out of arrows. He remembers Fire blessing him with two inexhaustible quivers at Khāṇḍava, and since his bow has nothing to shoot, he tries to kill the Kirāta with the hook of his bow, like an elephant with a trident-tip. Girigocara - the mountain-trekker - swallows Gāṇḍīva, and Arjuna leaps at him, using his arms' full strength to hurl his sharp sword, which wouldn't get stuck even in mountains, at his head. The sword shatters. Phalguna fights with trees and boulders, but the Kirāta is unperturbed. Pārtha - Pṛthā's son - finally pummels the Kirāta's face with his fists, generating smoke, and gets pounded by the Kirāta's fists, making the sound caṭacaṭā. They bump chests, their limbs emitting sparks and smoke. Finally, Mahādeva Devadeva furiously overpowers his opponent's mind with confusion and restrains his limbs in his grip, so that he resembles a ball. Unable to pant, Phalguna falls down, stupefied.
The idea that Arjuna actually touched the limbs of Śiva (gātra-saṃsparśa) as an equal during their wrestling bout fascinated devout storytellers as the ultimate distinction of a mortal hero.
Bhagavān Bhava declares Phalguna an unequalled kṣatriya, his equal in energy and heroism. Giving him divine sight to behold him, he promises the former ṛṣi victory over all enemies, even celestials. Arjuna asks his forgiveness, and Vṛṣabhadhvaja - he of the bull flag - grants it.
Bhagavān explains that Arjuna in his prior body was Nara, companion of Nārāyaṇa, performing fierce tapas in Badarī for many myriad years. He regenerates Gāṇḍīva, the same bow that those two had used to discipline Dānavas at Śakra's coronation, and restores the two quivers' inexhaustibility. Arjuna asks for the Pāśupata missile Brahmaśiras, which destroys the world at the end of the age and can generate thousands of tridents, maces, and arrows. Bhagavān Bhaganetrahā - remover of Bhaga's eyes - grants the missile, warning Arjuna not to use it hastily; if aimed at someone deficient in energy, it will burn up the world.
The earth quakes and conches, drums, and kettledrums resound as the blazing, horrific missile appears next to Tryakṣa - three-eyed - and then next to Pāṇḍava - Pāṇḍu's son, whose body has no more blemishes after contact with Tryambaka. As Puruṣavara - choicest of men - watches, Śiva and Umā leave the white mountain and disappear into the sky.
When Arjuna relates this adventure in Āraṇyakaparvan chapter 163, it is embellished with the Kirāta adopting many illusory shapes and Arjuna using astra missiles against him.
Arjuna's encounter with the Kirāta is amplified in Bhāravi's Kirāt'Ārjunīya, counted as one of the five exemplary mahākāvyas of Saṃskṛta literature.
When Arjuna has vowed to slay Jayadratha the next day, his servants show him naityakaṃ naiśaṃ Traiyambakaṃ balim - the usual nightly offering to Tryambaka - at Droṇaparvan 56.3. Arjuna adorns Kṛṣṇa (who has been decorating Arjuna's bed) with perfumes and garlands and tells him about the offering. Kṛṣṇa tells him, supyatāṃ Pārtha bhadraṃ te kalyāṇāya vrajāmy aham - sleep, Pṛthā's son, luck to you, it's better that I go.
Shortly thereafter, they are both still awake, worrying about how to fulfil the vow. Kṛṣṇa remarks (Droṇaparvan 57.16-18):
Pārtha Pāśupataṃ nāma param'āstraṃ sanātanam
yena sarvān mṛdhe Daityāñ jaghne devo Maheśvaraḥ
yadi tad viditaṃ te'dya śvo hantā'si Jayadratham
atha jñātuṃ prapadyasva manasā Vṛṣabha-dhvajam
taṃ devaṃ manasā dhyāyañ joṣam āssva Dhanaṃjaya
tatas tasya prasādāt tvaṃ bhaktaḥ prāpsyasi tan mahat
Pṛthā's son, the one called Pāśupata - of the Beast-Lord - is the supreme missile forever, with which God Maheśvara slew all Diti's sons in battle. If you know it now, tomorrow you're the slayer of Jayadratha, or to know it, mentally approach Vṛṣabhadhvaja - him of the bull flag. Mentally focussed on that God, sit quietly, Dhanaṃjaya - property-victor! Then by his favour, you as the devotee will obtain that great thing.
As if he hasn't already obtained Pāśupata from the Kirāta episode - which would have been discussed with Kṛṣṇa during preparations for war, Dhanaṃjaya promptly applies water and sits down on the ground, singularly focussed, mentally approaching Bhava.
At the time of Brāhma muhūrta, Arjuna beholds himself in the sky, his right arm gripped by Keśava, flying with wind-speed among luminaries and superhumans, northward to Śvetaparvata (Himavat or Kailāsa). He views Kubera's lotus-pond, Gaṅgā, Mandara's localities, the Kāla mountain and Himavat's foothill Maṇimat, Brahmatuṅga, Suśṛṅga, Śataśṛṅga, Śaryāti's forest, the place of the Horse-Head (Fire) and the place of Ātharvaṇa, the Vṛṣadaṃśa mountain and Great Mandara. Moving like a shot arrow, he reaches a flaming bright mountain atop which effulgent, fair-skinned Vṛṣabhadhvaja sits in perpetual tapas, with trident, bow-and-arrow, matted hair, and thousands of eyes on his limbs, wearing bark and hides, accompanied by the mountain's daughter, sages, and hordes of spirits.
Vāsudeva - Vasudeva's son - and Pārtha - Pṛthā's son - both touch their heads to the ground and repeatedly praise Śarva, who offers to grant whatever they want. They praise him with a ten-śloka prayer and Arjuna sees his usual nightly offering next to Tryambaka. Arjuna asks for the divine astra, and Vṛṣāṅka - he of the bull-mark - sends them to fetch his bow and arrow from a nearby lake of ambrosia. Within the lake, they see a horrific serpent and another serpent with a thousand heads spitting flames. Praying with the brahma śataRudriya hymn, Arjuna and Acyuta cause the serpents to transform into a bow and arrow, which they bring to Vṛṣāṅka. A blue-and-red brahmacārī with tawny eyes demonstrates the bow and arrow, and the Pāṇḍava studies his bowstring, grip, and the mantra - secret - expounded by Bhava. Arjuna returns the arrow and bow to the lake.
At this point (Droṇaparvan 57.78-79), just before Arjuna and Keśava bow their heads again and return in an instant to the battle camp, an allusion to the Kirāta episode occurs, and Śiva grants Pāśupata to Arjuna as if he hasn't just taught it to him:
tataḥ prītaṃ Bhavaṃ jñātvā smṛtimān Arjunas tadā
varam āraṇyakaṃ dattaṃ darśanaṃ Śaṃkarasya ca
manasā cintayām āsa tan me saṃpadyatām iti
tasya tan matam ājñāya prītaḥ prādād varaṃ Bhavaḥ
tac ca Pāśupataṃ ghoraṃ pratijñāyāś ca pāraṇam
Then, knowing Bhava to be pleased, Arjuna at that time remembered the wish granted in the forest exile and the vision of Śaṃkara, and he mentally wished, "May that be available to me." Discerning that thought of his, Bhava was pleased and granted his wish: that horrific Pāśupata and the fulfilment of the vow.
Speculatively, one could read these verses 57.78-79 right after 57.19, where Arjuna sits down to pray after hearing Kṛṣṇa's advice in 57.16-18 that he needs Pāśupata. The whole adventure of flying north, finding the offering next to Śiva, and learning Pāśupata with the bow and arrow from the lake may have been inserted later. Originally, an author wanted to impress upon the audience that Arjuna could confidently vow to slay Jayadratha because Arjuna possessed Pāśupata ever since the famous Kirāta adventure (which is referenced at several other places in Mahābhārata). This author dramatized the point by making Kṛṣṇa question whether Arjuna possessed Pāśupata, and so Arjuna prayed to ensure Paśupati's blessing, experienced the earlier divine darśana anew, and felt confident of success.
When a later author came up with the flying adventure for Arjuna to obtain Pāśupata, it might have replaced verses 57.78-79, so that there was no allusion to the earlier darśana of Kirāta. Later still, someone with access to both versions of Arjuna's nightly preparation would have synthesized them into what we have today: Arjuna has just obtained Pāśupata when he remembers that he obtained it before!
I should note that Arjuna doesn't actually use Pāśupata in the events of the fourteenth day that culminate with him slaying Jayadratha. It's only after the war that Arjuna uses Brahmaśiras - a synonym of Pāśupata (see my post above) - against Aśvatthāman.
While the consensus is that Pāśupata is such a special weapon that even Gods like Indra, Yama, Kubera, Varuṇa, and Vāyu don't possess it, let alone mortals (Āraṇyakaparvan 41.14), there is one place where Pāśupata is just another missile that Droṇa's bow shoots at Arjuna (Droṇaparvan 163.28):
Aindraṃ Pāśupataṃ Tvāṣṭraṃ Vāyavyam atha Vāruṇam
muktaṃ muktaṃ Droṇa-cāpāt taj jaghāna Dhanaṃjayaḥ
This is a very interesting topic...it's great to read all the different perspectives here!
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