Shloka 23

Śatarudrīya-prabhāva and Rudra’s Supremacy (शतरुद्रीयप्रभावः)

Devanagari script

तमभ्ययाच्छैलसुता भूतस्त्रीगणसंवृता

Transliteration

tam abhyayāc chailasutā bhūtastrīgaṇasaṃvṛtā |

Translation

Nārada sprach: Da trat Umā, die Tochter des Berges, von den Frauen der bhūtas umringt, zu ihm heran. Sie brachte einen goldenen Krug, gefüllt mit Wasser, das aus allen tīrthas (heiligen Furten) gesammelt war. Wie Śaṅkara selbst trug sie gleichartige Gewänder und hielt ein erhabenes Gelübde mit derselben standhaften Zucht.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्ययाचत्: requested/begged (approached and asked)
• अभ्ययाचत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शैलसुता: the mountain's daughter (Pārvatī/Umā)
• शैलसुता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैलसुता
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भूतस्त्रीगणसंवृता: surrounded by groups of Bhūta-women
• भूतस्त्रीगणसंवृता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Umā (Pārvatī, Śailasutā)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Bhūtas
• wives of the Bhūtas (bhūtastrīgaṇa)
• tīrthas (sacred pilgrimage waters)
• golden kalaśa (water-pitcher)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic concord in spiritual life: Umā mirrors Śaṅkara’s discipline and attire, suggesting that true devotion is expressed through shared austerity, steadfast vows (vrata), and reverence for tīrthas—ethical steadiness rather than mere display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada narrates that Umā, accompanied by the wives of Śiva’s bhūta-attendants, comes to Śaṅkara carrying a golden pitcher filled with water collected from sacred tīrthas, and she is described as observing an excellent vow in the same manner as Śiva.