According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva once disguised himself as a forest hunter to engage in combat with the Pandava prince Arjuna. This incident dates back to the period before the Mahabharata war, when Arjuna was deeply immersed in rigorous penance to obtain divine weapons. To acquire superior arms from the deity, Arjuna had to successfully clear a demanding test set by Mahadev, during which Lord Shiva himself fought his dedicated devotee. Because Shiva adopted the guise of a Kirat or hunter, he came to be known as Kirateshwar.
Arjuna Penance for Victory in War
To secure victory in the impending Mahabharata war, elders and sages advised Arjuna to acquire infallible celestial weapons. Following this guidance, Arjuna traveled to the Indrakil mountain and became deeply absorbed in the intense worship of Lord Shiva. Arjuna primary goal was to obtain the Pashupatastra from Shiva. This was a unique weapon that could be discharged through the mind, speech, and bow, allowing easy victory over enemies on the battlefield. Observing Arjuna fierce penance, Mahadev decided to put his devotion to the test.
The Outbreak of Combat Over a Boar
To disrupt Arjuna penance, Duryodhana sent a massive wild boar named Mook to the Indrakil mountain. Seeing the boar charging toward him, Arjuna immediately aimed his arrow at the creature. At that exact moment, Lord Shiva, appearing in the guise of a Kirat hunter, also released an arrow. Both arrows struck the boar simultaneously, sparking a dispute between Arjuna and Shiva in his hunter form. Both began claiming ownership over the game. The argument escalated to the point of a full-fledged battle. Arjuna deployed several celestial weapons to defeat the hunter, but none of these arms had any effect on the Kirat. Shiva in the hunter disguise effortlessly neutralized all of Arjuna arrows in mid-air. Filled with anger, when Arjuna attempted to strike using his Gandiva bow, the Kirat snatched the bow away in the blink of an eye. With all weapons failing, Arjuna resorted to hand-to-hand combat, but the Kirat easily knocked him to the ground, rendering Arjuna unconscious for a brief period. All of Arjuna combat skills had proven ineffective.
Realization of Truth and Fall of Ego
Upon regaining consciousness, Arjuna understood that the hunter fighting him was no ordinary being. Distressed by his defeat, Arjuna meditated on Lord Shiva in his mind, fashioned a Shivalinga from the local soil, and offered flowers to it. The very next moment, Arjuna noticed that the flowers he was placing on the Shivalinga were appearing in the garland around the neck of the hunter standing before him. Recognizing that the Kirat was none other than Lord Shiva himself, Arjuna fell at the feet of the hunter-form Shiva and begged for forgiveness. Lord Shiva then appeared in his true form and told Arjuna that he was immensely pleased with his valor, archery, and devotion. Shiva declared that Arjuna ego was now broken and he was worthy of wielding the most powerful weapon in the universe.
Acquisition of the Pashupatastra
Pleased with Arjuna penance, Lord Shiva ultimately bestowed the Pashupatastra upon him. Armed with this weapon, Arjuna achieved victory over the Kauravas in the Mahabharata war and destroyed unrighteousness. Because Lord Shiva assumed the form of a Kirat hunter to test Arjuna, he is revered as Kirateshwar Mahadev. The Kirateshwar Mahadev temple is situated in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. A large number of devotees visit this temple during Nag Panchami, Maha Shivaratri, and Bala Chaturdashi.
