Shloka 23

Gift of Sudarshana — The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

तद् दत्त्वा देवदेवाय सर्वभूतभयप्रदम् कालचक्रनिभं चक्रं शङ्करो विष्णुमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tad dattvā devadevāya sarvabhūtabhayapradam kālacakranibhaṃ cakraṃ śaṅkaro viṣṇumabravīt

Translation

Having given that discus to the God of gods—an instrument that brings fear to all beings, resembling the wheel of Time—Śaṅkara then spoke to Viṣṇu.

Speakers

• Narrator introduces ensuing speech: Śaṅkara (Śiva) addresses Viṣṇu.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Time (kāla) symbolism
• Divine sovereignty and protection
• Weapon as cosmic principle
• Shaiva–Vaishnava concord

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why compare the discus to the “wheel of Time” (kālacakra)?

The simile frames Sudarśana as inexorable and all-subduing like Time itself—unstoppable, impartial, and cosmic in scope—thereby legitimizing its role in restoring order against demonic forces.

How can Viṣṇu be called “deva-deva” while Śiva is giving him a boon?

Purāṇic diction often uses superlative epithets devotionally within a scene without denying the other deity’s greatness. Here it functions to honor Viṣṇu’s cosmic office while simultaneously portraying Śiva as the gracious bestower—supporting a non-competitive theology.

What does “sarvabhūtabhayapradam” mean ethically—does it endorse terror?

It is ‘fear-giving’ specifically in the sense of being dreadful to adharmic beings and hostile forces. In Purāṇic ethics, such fear is protective: it deters violence and safeguards the worlds and the righteous.