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कैरातपर्वन् (kairAtaparvan)

 
Mahabharata
English
Kairātaparvan (“the section treating of the Kirāta”), the 33rd of the minor parvans of Mhbhr., forming an episode to Arjuna's journey to the abode of Indra (cf. Kairāta). § 331. It is anew related how Arjuna set out from the Kāmyaka wood towards the north
he entered a terrible forest (description), resorted to by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, and then proceeded to the Himavat (description). For four months he practised austerities (specified), until the ṛshis made representations about it to Śiva, who dismissed them after having removed their fears (III, 38). Then Śiva with his bow and arrows, in the guise of a Kirāta, accompanied by Umā in the guise of a Kirāta woman, by merry spirits (bhūtaiḥ), and thousands of women, approached Arjuna as he was about to kill Mūka, a son of Danu, who in the form of a boar would have killed Arjuna. Arjuna and Śiva at the same time pierced Mūka with their arrows, and killed him
when dying he again assumed his rākshasa form
then they fought against each other, first with arrows, then with the very bows, then with swords, then with trees and stones, then with the fists, and then by clasping each other
at last Arjuna lost his senses, and was almost reduced to a ball of flesh
when he regained consciousness he made a clay image of Śiva, which he worshipped with a garland, which then appeared on the head of the Kirāta
he thus learned that it was Śiva, and prostrated himself at his feet. Śiva declared that Arjuna's prowess was equal to his own, promised to give him his weapon, and gave him ‘eye’ (cakshus), so that he beheld him in his true form, together with Umā.--§ 332: Arjuna then fell on his knees and worshipped him, saying: “O Kapardin! etc.” (v. Mahādevastava) (III, 39).--§ 333: Śiva said that Arjuna (b) was in a former life Nara, etc. When granted a boon, Arjuna asked Śiva to give him the Pāśupata weapon named Brahmaśiras (c). Having purified himself he was instructed in its use on the condition that he should not hurl it against a human being, for then it would destroy the universe. The earth trembled, etc. The gods and Dānavas beheld the weapon in its bodily shape standing by the side of Arjuna. When Arjuna had been touched by Śiva, all that was evil in his body was dispellod. Having said to Arjuna, “Go thou into heaven, ” Śiva went up into the skies accompanied by Umā (III, 40).--§ 334: Then Arjuna was on the Himavat visited by the Lokapālas, viz., Varuṇa (blue as lapis lazuli), together with rivers, Nāgas, Daityas, and Sādhyas
Kubera, who dwells on Kailāsa, golden-coloured (jāmbūnadavapuḥ), accompanied by Yakshas
Yama, with staff in hand (daṇḍapāṇiḥ), illuminating the three worlds, and the Guhyakas, Gandharvas, and Nagās, accompanied by those lords of the creation (lokabhāvanaiḥ) the Pitṛs
further Śakra, with Māhendrāṇī, mounted on the neck of Airāvata, and surrounded by the gods, and eulogized by Gandharvas and ṛshis. Each of them occupied a particular summit of Himavat (Yama to the south, Varuṇa to the west). They granted him ‘sight’ (dṛshṭi), that he might see them. Yama said that Arjuna would defeat the Nivātakavacas, etc., and gave him his irresistible staff (daṇḍa) as a weapon. Varuṇa (b) gave him his irresistible nooses. Kubera said that in bygone kalpas Arjuna had always gone through ascetic austerities along with them, and gave him his favourite weapon Antardhāna (c). Indra said he would descend to earth in his chariot with Mātali as his charioteer, and taking him to heaven grant him all his celestial weapons (III, 41).