Shloka 52

Devanagari script

इत्याभाष्य मुनिश्रेष्ठं स रुद्रः किल विश्वदृक् / आस्थाय परमं भावं ननर्त जगतो हरः

Transliteration

ityābhāṣya muniśreṣṭhaṃ sa rudraḥ kila viśvadṛk / āsthāya paramaṃ bhāvaṃ nanarta jagato haraḥ

Translation

So sprach Rudra, der Allsehende, zum erhabensten der Weisen; dann trat er in den höchsten Zustand göttlicher Erhebung ein und tanzte als Hara, der Herr des Universums.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात), quotative particle; indeclinable

• ābhāṣya: having addressed
• ābhāṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (क्त्वान्त) absolutive/gerund; having spoken/addressed

• muniśreṣṭham: the best of sages
• muniśreṣṭham: Karma (कर्म/direct object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masc), Dvitīyā vibhakti (accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (singular); tatpuruṣa: munīnām śreṣṭhaḥ

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (nominative/1st), Ekavacana; pronoun

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• kila: indeed / it is said
• kila: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta; emphatic/hearsay particle

• viśvadṛk: all-seeing
• viśvadṛk: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of rudraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśva + dṛś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: viśvaṃ paśyati iti (one who sees all)

• āsthāya: having assumed
• āsthāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√sthā (धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta (क्त्वान्त) absolutive; having assumed/taken up

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of bhāvam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka usage; here agreeing with bhāvam: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• bhāvam: state / disposition
• bhāvam: Karma (कर्म/object of āsthāya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• nanarta: danced
• nanarta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्, imperfect/past), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (neuter), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (genitive/6th), Ekavacana

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition to rudraḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing Rudra’s action after speaking to a great sage)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Hara
• Muniśreṣṭha (foremost sage)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By portraying Rudra as viśvadṛk (all-seeing) who enters parama-bhāva (the supreme state), the verse points to a consciousness that transcends ordinary mind and becomes the universal witness—an Upaniṣadic marker of the Supreme Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The key yogic idea is āsthāya paramaṃ bhāvam—entering a highest inner state. In a Pāśupata-leaning reading, this indicates absorption (samāveśa/samādhi-like exaltation) where divine awareness overflows into sacred action, here symbolized by Rudra’s dance.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

While the verse centers on Rudra/Hara, Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats such divine supremacy as compatible with Viṣṇu’s cosmic lordship; the “supreme state” language supports a non-competitive, unitary view of īśvaratva (divine sovereignty) across Śiva and Viṣṇu.