“Arjuna is the noble archer we know from the “Song of the Lord” (Bhagavad Gita).d During the long drawn-out war between rival kin groups, Arjuna realizes that he must have special magic arrows if the tide of battle is to turn in his favor. In order to obtain them, he makes a pilgrimage to a quiet, forested valley hidden in the Himalayas where he finds a cove of meditating yogis.
To aid his meditation, he models a lingam out of clay and decorates it with fresh blossoms. Then, with undivided attention, he begins to chant the holy invocation Om Namah Shivaya. His meditation becomes so fervent that he heats up as though he were on fire. The trees around him turn yellow and lose their leaves; the grass smolders, causing the other meditators to wheeze and cough. His ardent effort bothers them so much that the holy men leave for Mount Kailash to beg the Lord that he might satisfy Arjuna`s wishes, whatever they may be. This Shiva promises to do but first he would test the warrior’s character to see if he is worthy of such a gift.
“Shiva, then, takes on the appearance of a swarthy, muscular chieftain of the kiratas, those wild, widely feared mountaineers. Parvati, not wanting to miss the adventure, goes along as the kirata queen, and the clamoring host of ghosts and goblins change themselves into kirata wenches. Let us join them and see what happens:
At the very moment the kirata chief and his crowd of women enter the hallowed forest, a gigantic wild boar comes crashing through the thicket, grunting menacingly. The terrified hermits flee helter-skelter. Seeing through the swinish exterior, they recognize the demon (asura) Muka, coming once again to disrupt their contemplations. But no sooner has it appeared than two arrows whiz through the air, hitting the bristly beast simultaneously. Gurgling and hissing, the spirit of the nasty asura leaves the dying body of the boar. The kirata women clap their hands, shouting in chorus, “Bravo! Our great chieftain has slain the boar!”
“I beg your pardon,” retorts Arjuna, sure of his skills. “It is I who killed the boar!”
The sinister headman fixes the young hero with a cold stare, saying, “Listen, stranger! These women speak the truth. Your arrow hit a boar that was already dead!"
Soon an argument flares up that becomes ever more heated until Arjuna, fired by righteous wrath, picks up his bow to strike down the impudent mountaineer. The arrow fails its mark, for the kirata shoots it in two as it flies through the air. Arjuna empties his quiver, but none of his arrows strike their target. Drawing his sword, he charges his dark skinned opponent, but as he heaves to split his skull, the blade shatters as though it were made of plywood. At that, Arjuna loses all constraint. In blind fury, he uproots a tree with which to pound the enemy into the ground. The kirata grabs the trunk and flings it, along with Arjuna, into the air. The hero falls crashing to the ground next to the mud lingam. He is badly shaken but gathers himself enough to throw a prayer at the Shiva lingam. Immediately, fresh strength and new courage flood his limbs. Jumping to his feet, he shouts, “Kirata, your hour has come—”
He cannot finish the sentence, for, lo and behold, the flowers that had adorned the lingam now deck the long hair of the kirata! Awestruck, Arjuna realizes that his opponent is none other than the Lord! Trembling, he falls to his knees, as Shiva and Parvati take on their usual appearance as a sadhu and a noble lady. Holding their hands open in a gesture of blessing, they tell him, “Your courage and dedication have pleased us. You shall have the invincible arrows of the Lord of the Animals and victory shall be yours!”