Slaying of Muka Daitya

Nandishvara said

Arjuna bathed properly and did nyasa properly. Devotedly he meditated on Shiva, doing everything as Vyasa had told him. Like a great sage he stood on the sole of one foot, fixed his eyes only on Surya and kept chanting the mantra. Happily remembering Shiva in his mind he tormented himself with these austerities and did japa of Shambhu's supreme panchakshara mantra. The gods were amazed at the energy of his austerities, controlled themselves, went to Shiva and spoke to him again: Sarvesha, a man is doing austerities to satisfy you, lord, why do you not give the man what he wants? So saying, the gods praised him in many ways and stood there with eyes and minds fixed on his two feet. The great lord Shiva, wide in intelligence, heard them, was pleased, smiled and said: gods, go back to your abodes, I will certainly do all you have said, truly. Hearing Shambhu they were greatly reassured and all the immortals went to their residences.

At that time the daitya named Muka came there, sent by evil-souled Duryodhana against Arjuna. By his maya he took a boar's form and came along the path where Arjuna stood, shattering many trees and mountain peaks, making many sounds with great speed. Arjuna saw the asura Muka, remembered Shiva's lotus feet and thought what to do. He thought: who is this, where has he come from, he can be seen to be cruel in deeds and will certainly cause harm, that is no doubt why he has come, he must be an enemy. Earlier I have killed many daityas and danavas, and one of their relatives may have come to rekindle that old enmity, or he may be Duryodhana's friend wanting to do him a favour. On seeing a person, if the mind is pleased he will surely bring welfare, but if it is agitated he must surely be an enemy. Conduct reveals lineage, size reveals food, speech reveals learning, the eyes reveal affection, and the mind's hidden intentions show in form, stride, efforts, words and signs in the eyes and face. Eyes are said to be of four kinds: bright, passionate, sidelong or red; the learned can tell separate feelings by them. They are bright when friends meet, passionate on seeing a son, sidelong in union with a beloved and red on seeing an enemy. As for him, all my senses are excited; he is an enemy and surely must be killed. I remember my guru's words now: if a person brings you misery, king, he must be killed by any means possible, and there is no need to think. That is why I bear weapons. Thinking so, he stood up and fitted an arrow.

Shankara, kind to devotees, came there meanwhile to protect Arjuna and test his devotion, in the wonderful form of a bhilla surrounded by his companions, quickly, to slay the daitya. He girded his garment round his waist and folded up Ishana's standard. There were white marks on his body and he held a bow and arrow, with an inexhaustible quiver of arrows on his back. With his companions Shiva took the form of a bhilla king. The leader of that band came out making many sounds. The boar's grunts echoed in the directions and subdirections, and the forest dwellers were agitated by the sound, and so was Arjuna, and all the mountains. Arjuna thought: is this Shiva, who brings welfare? I had heard it earlier and Krishna repeated it, Vyasa said it and the gods remembered him so. Shiva is called the one who ensures welfare, who gives happiness, who gives liberation, surely to his own, and as soon as they remember him people gain what is beneficial. If one worships him with all feelings, even in dreams one faces no hardship. If there is misery it arises from karma. Whatever is to happen, large or small, will occur, and that is due to the taints of prarabdha karma; or perhaps, after one has enjoyed it, Shankara will enable one to cross over. He can dispel it if he wishes. He can turn amrita into poison and poison into amrita, and if he wishes to do something nothing can counter it. Other ancient devotees have reflected so, and future devotees must also fix this in their minds: whether there is prosperity or death in front, blame or praise, misery is destroyed by this. Shankara always brings happiness and enables one to conquer both good and wicked deeds. Sometimes he sends miseries to test, and he is said to give happiness at the end; he is certainly compassionate, like gold being purified becoming pure. This is what I earlier heard from the sage's mouth, and if one worships him one gains supreme happiness. While he was thinking so, the boar came within the range of his arrow.

Shiva was following the boar closely from behind as it rushed between them, and between them the boar's wonderful pointed tusks could be seen. Shankara, kind to devotees, whose greatness is spoken of, came very quickly. Then both released their arrows. Shiva's arrow struck the boar on its tail and Arjuna's on its mouth. Shiva's arrow went in through the tail, came quickly out of the mouth and sank into the ground. Arjuna's arrow came out through the tail and fell to one side. The boar, the daitya, fell to the ground dead at once. The gods were filled with great delight and rained flowers, cried "Victory," and, uttering praise again and again, bowed. Shiva was happy and Arjuna rejoiced as well. Both looked at the daitya's cruel form. Arjuna, especially delighted, said this supreme daitya's form was extremely wonderful: he had taken it and come to kill him, but Shiva had protected him, and surely Ishvara had given him this thought now. Thinking so, Arjuna said Shiva's name again and again, bowed to Shiva repeatedly and praised him.