Kirateshvara Avatara

Nandishvara said

Seeing him advance, Arjuna meditated on Shiva and fought an extremely terrible battle with him. The ganas made him suffer with many sharp weapons. Afflicted by them, Partha remembered his lord Shiva. As the fight went on, Arjuna cut down the arrows shot by those powerful ones and those hurled by Sharva, Paramesha. Suffering at his hands the ganas fled in the ten directions. Though their lord tried to hold them back they did not listen to their master. Then very strong, valiant Shiva and Arjuna fought each other with many kinds of weapons. With a compassionate mind Shiva advanced on Arjuna, but Arjuna struck him firmly back. Shiva cut all Arjuna's weapons and the whole armour on his body, leaving only his bare body. At this Arjuna remembered Shiva and began a wrestling match. Though afraid before the army's leader, he held on to his courage. In that clash the earth with all its oceans trembled. Full of misery, the gods wondered what would happen. Then the divinity Shiva rose into the air and fought from there, and so did Arjuna, and the divinity and the king fought as if flying. Seeing this wonderful fight, the gods were amazed. Arjuna came down and remembered Shiva's lotus feet, and, getting strength from it, caught him by the feet and whirled him round. As he was lifted so, Mahadeva, kind to devotees, laughed. He is subject to his devotees and let this happen himself, because of Shiva's own conduct, and it could not have been otherwise.

Shankara is subject to his devotees. Then he laughed and suddenly showed him his wonderful, auspicious form, the ancient Purushottama's form, as described in the Vedas and the texts, as Vyasa had instructed, as Arjuna had meditated on, the one that grants every success. Seeing Shiva's wonderful form, obtained only through meditation, Arjuna was astonished and ashamed of himself. He thought: how wonderful, this is Shiva, surrounded by every kind of lordship, directly the lord of the three worlds himself; what have I done? The lord's maya is powerful and deludes even those who have maya. What has the lord done to deceive me, hiding his own form? Reflecting so, he lowered his head, joined his hands, lovingly bowed to the lord and spoke, his mind distressed. He said: lord of the gods, Mahadeva, compassionate Shankara, Sarvesha, you should forgive my offence. Why did you hide your form, why did you deceive me now? Since I fought against my lord, shame on me. So Pandava lamented and quickly fell at the great lord Shankara's feet. Ishvara was pleased and replied; Mahesha, kind to devotees, comforted him in many ways. Shankara said: Partha, do not be dejected, you are my special devotee. I did this to test you; now put aside this sorrow. Saying this, the lord raised Arjuna with his own hand. The lord of ganas removes the shame of his ganas. Shiva spoke to Arjuna again, honouring Pandava as a brave man, and, kind to devotees, delighted him in every way. Shiva said: Partha, best of the Pandavas, I am pleased with you; ask a boon. You have worshipped me by striking and beating me, that is what I think. I did this by my own will. No offence attaches to you now. Nothing is beyond giving to you, so ask whatever you wish. You have done what is auspicious, to establish your fame among the enemies and for the kingdom. Do not grieve over this; give up all your fatigue. So the lord Shankara addressed Arjuna.

Full of devotion he stood and carefully answered Shankara, saying he was loved by his devotees and very radiant, so how could he dare describe him? Full of devotion, and in keeping with the Vedas, Pandava praised the great lord Shankara. Arjuna said: lord of the gods, I bow to you; dweller in Kailasa, I bow to you; Sadashiva, I bow to you; five-faced one, I bow to you; Kapardin, three-eyed one, I bow to you. You have a form that pleases the mind and a thousand faces. Nilakantha, I bow to you. Sadyojata, Vrishadhvaja, I bow to you. Girija is the left half of your body; I bow to the remover of the taints of hardship, to the supreme self. Wearer of a garland of skulls, holder of damaru and skull, I bow to you, pure as crystal, with a path as pure as camphor, holder of the Pinaka and the excellent trident, with tiger hide for upper garment and elephant hide for garment. I bow to the one with nagas on his body, who holds the Ganga, who has excellent feet tinged with red, served by Nandi and the other ganas; lord of ganas, I bow to you, to the one who has Gana's form and follows Kartikeya. You give devotion to devotees and give liberation. I bow to you, without gunas and with gunas, without forms and with forms, with digits and without, and to the one who took Kirata's form and showed me favour. You love to fight the brave and engage in many plays. The energy in any form one sees is said to be yours. Your form is consciousness. To satisfy your own pleasures you create differences of form in the three worlds. No number can be set on your infinite qualities, which are as many as the stars in the sky or drops of rain. Even the Vedas cannot count your qualities, so how can I, low in understanding, describe them, protector? You are whoever you are, and I bow to you. Show me compassion, Mahesha, Maheshvara: I am your servant and you are the master. Hearing these words Shankara was pleased even more and spoke to him again.

The lord smiled and said: what need of many words, listen; son, ask a boon quickly and I will give you everything. Thus addressed, Arjuna was delighted, bowed to Sadashiva with joined hands and spoke in words faltering from love. He said: what shall I tell you, since you are within everyone, but I will try to say it. Lord, as soon as I saw you the danger from enemies vanished. Please act so that I gain siddhis in this world and the next. Saying this, he bowed to Shankara, kind to devotees, and stood with shoulders lowered and hands joined. Seeing Pandava Arjuna so, Shiva understood he was one of his supreme devotees and was extremely pleased. Mahesha's pashupata weapon cannot be beaten by anyone anywhere. He gave it to him and said: I have given you my own great weapon and you will be invincible; with it you will defeat all your enemies. I will ask Krishna to help you, my self is in him, he is my devotee and carries out my tasks. Descendant of Bharata, by my powers you will remove all the thorns from your kingdom and, with your brothers, always do many kinds of dharmic acts. Saying this he placed his hand on his head, and, worshipped by Arjuna, Shankara vanished.

Having got the weapon and the boon from the lord, Arjuna was pleased, and, devotedly remembering his chief guru Shiva, returned to his hermitage. When he returned all his brothers rejoiced and felt as if they had got their lives back. They were delighted to meet him, as was Droupadi, excellent in her vows. The Pandavas learned that Shiva was greatly satisfied and were filled with joy. They kept hearing the whole account without being satisfied. Because of what had happened with the boar, a shower of flowers scented with sandalwood fell on those great-souled ones. They were blessed by Shankara and cheerfully bowed to him. So they knew that the time of their victory had come. Meanwhile, hearing that Arjuna had returned, Krishna also came, delighted to hear it and eager to meet him. Nandi told Sanatkumara that this was why he said Shankara removes all miseries, that he always served him and Sanatkumara should too. He had thus told of Shankara's avatara called Kirata, and a person who hears it or has it heard gets everything he wishes.