Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 15
Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna
त्रैलोक्यप्रभुरव्यक्तो भवः सर्वैर्नमस्कृतः अजेयस्तस्य भार्येयं न त्वमर्हे ऽमरार्दन
trailokyaprabhuravyakto bhavaḥ sarvairnamaskṛtaḥ ajeyastasya bhāryeyaṃ na tvamarhe 'marārdana
“Bhava (Śiva) is the unmanifest lord of the three worlds, revered by all; he is unconquerable. This woman is his wife—O subduer of the gods—she is not fit to be sought by you.”
{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
In Purāṇic theology, ‘avyakta’ marks Śiva as transcending gross form and worldly limitation—an assertion of metaphysical sovereignty that supports the claim that he cannot be overcome by ordinary power.
It is a dharma-based prohibition: desiring another’s lawful spouse is adharma. The verse frames the act not only as immoral but also as futile because the husband is ‘ajeya’ (unconquerable).
It is an epithet meaning ‘subduer of the gods’. In such narratives it commonly addresses a powerful anti-god figure (asura/daitya). The verse’s function is to rebuke that figure’s presumption before Śiva.