Shloka 59
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
ईशानायाप्रमेयाय नियन्त्रे चर्मवाससे । तपोरताय पिड्डाय व्रतिने कृत्तिवाससे
īśānāyāprameyāya niyantre carmavāsase | taporatāya piṅgalāya vratine kṛttivāsase ||
Duryodhana bringt Śiva einen ehrfürchtigen Lobgesang dar: „Ehrerbietung dir, Īśāna—unermesslich und dem vollen Begreifen entzogen—der du alles regierst und zügelst. Unbesiegbar bist du; niemand kann dich aufhalten oder überwinden. In Häute gekleidet, stets der Askese hingegeben, von fahl-gelblicher Tönung, strenger Hüter der Gelübde und berühmt als Kṛttivāsa (der Häuteträger), bist du der Verehrung würdig. Dir sei mein Gruß!“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between human agency and a higher cosmic order: in the midst of war, Duryodhana turns to Śiva as the immeasurable controller (niyantṛ), implying that ultimate power and restraint lie beyond mere martial strength. Ethically, it shows how devotion can be invoked even by morally compromised actors, raising the question of whether prayer seeks transformation or merely advantage.
Duryodhana addresses Śiva with a string of epithets—Īśāna, Aprameya, Niyantṛ, Carmavāsas, Taporata, Piṅgala, Vratin, Kṛttivāsa—offering praise and salutation. The stuti functions as an appeal for divine attention and support during the intense events of the Karṇa Parva.