Vyasa

Aranyaka Parva›Arjuna's Heavenly Sojourn and Battle with the Nivatakavachas

Arjuna Enters the Nivatakavacha City and Learns Its History

Why "Major"?

Causal ReachTop 98%
Character WeightTop 91%
State ChangeTop 98%
Narrative RecallTop 50%

~1 min read

After the battle, Arjuna enters the Nivatakavacha city — a place more beautiful than the abode of the gods themselves. He asks Matali why the gods do not live there, and learns that his entire mission was divinely ordained: the gods could not kill these asuras, but Arjuna, arriving at the destined time, has accomplished what they could not.

Matali smiled at Arjuna and said, "The valour you have shown is not seen even among the gods." The battle was over. Masses of asuras lay slain, and their wives began to lament in the city — their cries rising like the calls of cranes in autumn. Accompanied by Matali, Arjuna entered the Nivatakavacha city, the roar of his chariot terrifying the women who remained. They saw the tens of thousands of horses, like peacocks, and the chariot that blazed like the sun, and fled in panic. The sounds of their ornaments clattering as they ran was like hail descending on a mountain. The frightened daitya women disappeared into their houses — houses made of gold, decorated with many beautiful gems. Arjuna looked around him. The city was supreme and wonderful — superior, he thought, to the city of the gods themselves. He asked Matali, "Why do the gods not live in this wonderful place? I think it surpasses Purandara's city." Matali replied, "This was earlier the city of the gods. But the gods were expelled from here by the Nivatakavachas. They obtained the grandfather Brahma's favours through great and terrible austerities and obtained a boon: that they should live here, free from all fear of the gods in battle." Then Shakra had gone to the illustrious one who creates himself — Brahma — and said, "Bearing our welfare in mind, you decide what is appropriate in this case." Brahma told Vasava what had been destined. "You yourself will assume another body and kill them." So Shakra gave Arjuna the weapons for their destruction. Even the gods could not kill the ones Arjuna had now slain. Arjuna had arrived when the time was right for their end, and he had accomplished the task. Mahendra had conferred on him the supreme power of those weapons for the destruction of the danavas. Having killed the danavas and entered their city, Arjuna returned to the abode of the gods together with Matali.

Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 466