Shloka 49

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

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

कालयोगी महानाद: सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथ: । निशाचर: प्रेतचारी भूतचारी महेश्वर:

Transliteration

kālayogī mahānādaḥ sarvakāmaśnatuṣpathaḥ | niśācaraḥ pretacārī bhūtacārī maheśvaraḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Er ist der Herr der zeitlichen Zucht, der Großstimmige; der Verzehrer aller Begierden und der, dessen Pfad schwer zu befriedigen ist. Er wandelt in der Nacht, streift unter den Dahingegangenen und geht unter den Geistern — er ist Maheshvara, der Große Herr.“

Word by Word

• कालयोगी: one who is united with/masters Time (a yogin of Time)
• कालयोगी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालयोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महानादः: the great-sounding/one of mighty roar
• महानादः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथः: he whose path is to eat/consume all desires (i.e., destroyer of all desires)
• सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निशाचरः: night-roamer
• निशाचरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेतचारी: one who moves among/with the departed spirits (preta-roamer)
• प्रेतचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूतचारी: one who moves among/with beings/spirits (bhūta-roamer)
• भूतचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेश्वरः: the great Lord
• महेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse exalts Maheśvara as a cosmic power beyond ordinary human measures: Time-bound yet Time-governing, insatiable in consuming all desires, and sovereign over liminal realms (night, spirits, the dead). Ethically, it points to the limits of desire and the supremacy of a higher order that transcends fearsome appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is describing Maheśvara through a chain of epithets, emphasizing his awe-inspiring, otherworldly sovereignty—especially his association with Time and with beings of the night and spirit-world—within a devotional or laudatory context.