"Mahadeva said, 'Thou wert in thy former life Nara, the friend of
Narayana. In Vadari wert thou engaged in fierce ascetic austerities for
several thousands of years. In thee as well as in Vishnu--that first of
male beings--dwelleth great might. Ye both, by your might, hold the
universe; O lord, taking up that fierce bow whose twang resembled the
deep roar of the clouds, thou, as well as Krishna, chastisedest the
Danavas during the coronation of Indra. Even this _Gandiva_ is that bow,
O son of Pritha, fit for thy hands. O foremost of male beings, I
snatched it from thee, helped by my powers of illusion. This couple of
quivers, fit for thee, will again be inexhaustible, O son of Pritha!
And, O son of the Kuru race, thy body will be free from pain and
disease. Thy prowess is incapable of being baffled. I have been pleased
with thee. And, O first of male beings, ask thou of me the boon that
thou desirest. O chastiser of all foes, O giver of proper respect, (to
those deserving it) not even in heaven is there any male being who is
equal to thee, nor any Kshatriya who is thy superior.'
"Arjuna said, 'O illustrious god having the bull for thy sign, if thou
wilt grant me my desire, I ask of thee, O lord that fierce celestial
weapon wielded by thee and called _Brahmasira_--that weapon of terrific
prowess which destroyeth, at the end of the _Yuga_ the entire
universe--that weapon by the help of which, O god of gods, I may under
thy grace, obtain victory in the terrible conflict which shall take
place between myself (on one side), and Karna and Bhishma and Kripa and
Drona (on the other)--that weapon by which I may consume in battle
Danavas and Rakshasas and evil spirits and Pisachas and Gandharvas and
Nagas--that weapon which when hurled with _Mantras_ produceth darts by
thousands and fierce-looking maces and arrows like snakes of virulent
poison, and by means of which I may fight with Bhishma and Drona and
Kripa and Karna of ever abusive tongue, O illustrious destroyer of the
eyes of Bhaga, even this is my foremost desire, _viz_., that I may be
able to fight with them and obtain success.'
"Bhava replied, 'O powerful one, I will give to thee that favourite
weapon of mine called the _Pasuputa_. O son of Pandu, thou art capable
of holding, hurling, and withdrawing it. Neither the chief himself of
the gods, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakshas, nor Varuna, nor Vayu,
knoweth it. How could men know anything of it? But, O son of Pritha,
this weapon should not be hurled without adequate cause; for if hurled
at any foe of little might it may destroy the whole universe. In the
three worlds with all their mobile and immobile creatures, there is none
who is incapable of being slain by this weapon. And it may be hurled by
the mind, by the eye, by words, and by the bow.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing these words, the son of Pritha purified
himself. And approaching the lord of the universe with rapt attention,
he said, 'Instruct me!' Mahadeva then imparted unto that best of Pandu's
son the knowledge of that weapon looking like the embodiment of Yama,
together with all the mysteries about hurling and withdrawing it. And
that weapon thence began to wait upon Arjuna as it did upon Sankara, the
lord of Uma. And Arjuna also gladly accepted it. And at the moment the
whole earth, with its mountains and woods and trees and seas and forests
and villages and towns and mines, trembled. And the sounds of conchs and
drums and trumpets by thousands began to be heard. And at that moment
hurricanes and whirlwinds began to blow. And the gods and the Danavas
beheld that terrible weapon in its embodied form stay by the side of
Arjuna of immeasurable energy. And whatever of evil there had been in
the body of Phalguna of immeasurable energy was all dispelled by the
touch of the three-eyed deity. And the three eyed god then commanded
Arjuna, saying, 'Go thou into heaven.' Arjuna then, O king, worshipping
the god with bent head, gazed at him, with joined hands. Then the lord
of all the dwellers of heaven, the deity of blazing splendour having his
abode on mountain-breasts, the husband of Uma, the god of passions under
complete control, the source of all blessings, Bhava gave unto Arjuna,
that foremost of men, the great bow called _Gandiva_, destructive of
Danavas and Pisachas. And the god of gods, then leaving that blessed
mountain with snowy plateaus and vales and caves, favourite resort of
sky-ranging great Rishis, went up, accompanied by Uma into the skies, in
the sight of that foremost of men."