South-Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses c9.s12.7

c9.s12.7

Kirātārjunamūrti is that form of Siva in which he is supposed to have appeared before Arjuna, one of the heroes of the epic *Mahābhārata*, when the latter was doing penance to obtain from Siva a powerful weapon with which he could destroy his enemies. God Siva wished to try personally if his devotee Arjuna really deserved to wield the matchless weapon Pāsupata, whose presiding deity was himself. To this end Siva and Pārvatī assumed the forms of a hunter and a huntress and with their retinue of demons and hobgoblins attired for the chase, drove before them a wild boar, which rushed to attack Arjuna who was then performing his penance. Arjuna, the practised warrior, seized his bow and instantly shot the animal. Simultaneously also came another arrow from the psuedo-hunter Siva. Pierced by both the arrows, the animal died. The hunter cried out that the quarry was his and asked Arjuna how he dared to shoot at it. The royal hero of the Lunar race could not brook the insult from this wild hunter of the woods. A fierce fight between the two was the result. Arjuna was amazed to see that the hunter was more than his match. Arjuna’s never failing arrows failed him now and he challenged the hunter to a hand-to-hand contest. Sore and beaten, Arjuna worshipped the clay *linga* of the god Siva that he had before him, when, lo! the flowers he threw on the *linga* fell on the person of the hunter. Arjuna struck the hunter at the head with his powerful bow called *Gāndiva* and drew blood. But the bow was mysteriously snatched away from him. In the end Arjuna was overcome by a gentle touch of the mighty god. Arjuna then knew him and begged pardon and the god gave him the desired weapon *Pāsupata*.