Shiva unveils the secrets of PAsupatAstrA to Arjuna

Rarely heard story from mahAbharatha- Sadhguru Jakki..

Sadhguru’s speech…….

During the kurukshetra war, after the tragic and brutal death of his son Abhimanyu, Arjuna is utterly grief sticken. The king jayadratha was the one who was indirectly but absolutely responsible for this murder. As enraged, Arjuna vows to avenge her son’s death by killing jayadratha before the next sunset or immolate himself if he fails.

Krishna knows that Arjuna must use the invincible pashupatashtra on Jayadratha in order to fulfill his view. Long ago, Arjuna had earned this fearsome weapon from Shiva himself after doing pain-staking tapasya.  But he never learned how to access it.

That night krishna visits Arjuna in his dream and tells him they must visit Shiva and learn the secrets of the astra. They sit in meditation and find themselves leave their bodies and soar north, across snowy mountains, thick forests and pristine lakes. A blazing mountain comes into view,  as they approach it they see Shiva sitting atop the peak.

He shines with a fire of thousand suns, a radiance that is the result of his intense ascetic austerities. Draped in animal hides and tree bark, he is smeared in white ash and adored with matted locks.

Parvathi, the daughter of the mountains sits by his side while the ganAs, his strange companions, dance about singing shouting and playing musical instruments.

Shiva welcomes Krishna and Arjuna and the warrior due eulogize the maha yogi and request for the phenomenal pasupadashtra. Shiva smiles and tells them to retrieve his bow and arrow from a lake of amrita. With the ganas leading the way, the two arrive at the celestial lake from which two colossal serpents rise. They tower with a thousand hoods and spit fierce flames. As Krishna and Arjuna chant hymns in praise of Rudra, the serpents hissing quietens and they transform into a bow and arrow. Clasping these weapons, Krishna and Arjuna return to Shiva, setting them before him.

From Shiva’s body emerges a lustrous being a ferocious brahmachari with orange eyes and flowing red hair. He demonstrates to Arjuna how to mount the arrow and string the bow while Shiva utters the sacred mantra to invoke the weapon. Arjuna commits it all to memory. Then the brahmachari shoots the arrow back to the lake from where it came and with a cry hurls bow back as well.

Arjuna bows down to Shiva, who blesses them. Filled with joy, Arjuna and krishna travel back to the war camp with the certainty that with the Grace of Mahadeva, victory would be theirs.