Shloka 122

Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

शिरोहारी विमर्शश्न सर्वलक्षणलक्षित: । अक्षश्ष रथयोगी च सर्वयोगी महाबल:

Transliteration

śirohārī vimarśaś ca sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitaḥ | akṣaś ca rathayogī ca sarvayogī mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva sprach: „Er ist ein Häupternehmer—einer, der nach sorgfältiger Unterscheidung die Frevler niederhaut. Er ist von allen glückverheißenden Zeichen gekennzeichnet. Er ist die Achse und der Meister des Anschirrens des Wagens, stets vereint mit allen Disziplinen des Yoga und von gewaltiger Kraft.“

Word by Word

• {'śirohārī': 'head-taker

• one who beheads or decisively destroys (especially the wicked)', 'vimarśaḥ': 'deliberation, discernment, reflective judgment', 'sarva-lakṣaṇa-lakṣitaḥ': 'distinguished by all (auspicious) marks or characteristics', 'akṣaḥ': 'axle

• the central pivot of a chariot (also: die in other contexts, but here chariot-axle)', 'ratha-yogī': 'one skilled in yoking/handling the chariot

• charioteering mastery', 'sarva-yogī': 'ever-yoked

• constantly composed', 'mahā-balaḥ': 'of great strength

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva (Wind-god)
• ratha (chariot)
• akṣa (chariot axle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power is praised only when guided by discernment (vimarśa) and aligned with dharma: the ideal protector destroys wrongdoing decisively, yet does so with reflective judgment, inner discipline (yoga), and auspicious qualities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is describing an exemplary figure through a string of epithets—one who punishes the wicked, bears auspicious marks, functions as the ‘axle’ of the chariot (a stabilizing pivot), is skilled in chariot-control, remains constantly yogic, and possesses great strength.