Shloka 10

Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)

Devanagari script

परं परेभ्य: परम॑ परं यस्मान्न विद्यते । इष्वस्त्रोत्तमभर्तारें दिगन्तं देशरक्षिणम्‌

Transliteration

paraṁ parebhyaḥ paramaṁ paraṁ yasmān na vidyate | iṣv-astrottama-bhartāraṁ dig-antaṁ deśa-rakṣiṇam | pūrva-kāle me āp kī stuti kī gaī hai, bhaviṣya meṁ bhī āp stuti-ke yogya bane raheṁge aur vartamāna-kāla meṁ bhī āp kī stuti kī jātī hai | āp kā koī bhī saṅkalpa yā prayatna vyartha nahīṁ hotā | āp vyāghra-carma-maya vastra dhāraṇa karate haiṁ, lohita-varṇa aura nīla-kaṇṭha haiṁ | āp ke vega ko sahan karanā asambhava hai aura āp ko rokanā sarvathā kaṭhina hai | āp śuddha-svarūpa brahma haiṁ | āp ne hī brahmā-jī kī sṛṣṭi kī hai | āp brahmacārī, vrata-dhārī tathā tapo-niṣṭha haiṁ, āp kā kahīṁ anta nahīṁ hai | āp tapasvī janoṁ ke āśraya, bahut-se rūpa dhāraṇa karane-vāle tathā gaṇapati haiṁ | āp ke tīn netra haiṁ | apane pārṣadoṁ ko āp bahut priya haiṁ | dhanādhyakṣa kubera sadā āp kā mukha nihārā karate haiṁ | āp gaurāṅginī girirāja-nandinī ke hṛdaya-vallabha haiṁ | kumāra kārtikeya ke pitā bhī āp hī haiṁ | āp kā varṇa piṅgala hai | vṛṣabha āp kā śreṣṭha vāhana hai | āp atyanta sūkṣma vastra dhāraṇa karane-vāle aura atyanta ugra haiṁ | umā-devī ko vibhūṣita karane meṁ tatpara rahate haiṁ | brahmā ādi devatāoṁ se śreṣṭha aura parātpara haiṁ | āp se śreṣṭha dūsarā koī nahīṁ hai | āp uttama dhanuṣ dhāraṇa karane-vāle, diganta-vyāpī tathā saba deśoṁ ke rakṣaka haiṁ | āp ke śrī-aṅgoṁ meṁ suvarṇa-maya kavaca śobhā pāta hai | āp kā svarūpa divya hai tathā āp candramaya mukuṭa se vibhūṣita hote haiṁ | maiṁ apane citta ko pūrṇataḥ ekāgra karke āp parameśvara kī śaraṇa meṁ ātā hūṁ

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Du bist das Höchste über allem Höchsten — nichts wird als höher erkannt als du. Du bist der Herr der erlesensten Wurfwaffen, bis an die Enden der Himmelsrichtungen allgegenwärtig, und der Beschützer jedes Landes.“

Word by Word

• परम्: supreme (as object/goal)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परेभ्यः: than the others/superiors
• परेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• परम्: the supreme
• परम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• यस्मात्: from whom/than whom
• यस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Active (intransitive: 'exists')

• इष्वस्त्रोत्तमभर्तारम्: the bearer/master of the best missile-weapons
• इष्वस्त्रोत्तमभर्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इषु-अस्त्र-उत्तम-भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दिगन्तम्: pervading the horizons/quarters
• दिगन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिगन्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देशरक्षिणम्: protector of the lands/countries
• देशरक्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश-रक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śiva (implied by epithets: Nīlakaṇṭha, Trinetra, tiger-skin, bull-mount)
• Brahmā
• Kubera
• Umā / Pārvatī (Girirājanandinī, Gaurāṅgī)
• Kumāra Kārttikeya (Skanda)
• Bull (Vṛṣabha/Nandin)
• Bow (Dhanuṣ)
• Golden armor (Suvarṇamaya kavaca)
• Moon-crest/crown (Candramaya mukuṭa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical refuge in the Supreme: true power is not mere martial force but the unfailing divine will grounded in purity (Brahman), austerity, and protection of the world. Praise becomes a form of surrender, acknowledging a higher moral and cosmic order beyond human conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya recites an extended hymn describing Śiva through iconic epithets (blue-throat, three-eyed, tiger-skin, bull-mount) and relationships (Umā, Kārttikeya, Kubera), culminating in an explicit act of taking refuge—setting a devotional and cosmic backdrop within the grim aftermath context of the Sauptika Parva.