Shloka 12
Adhyāya 352: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Saṃvāda — Uñchavrata-niścaya
Dialogue and the Resolve to Practice Uñchavrata
आकाशेन महायोगी पुरा त्रिनयनः प्रभु: । ततः: खान्निपपाताशु धरणीधरमूर्थनि
ākāśena mahāyogī purā tri-nayanaḥ prabhuḥ | tataḥ khān nipapātāśu dharaṇī-dhara-mūrdhani ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: In alten Zeiten bewegte sich der Herr—Śiva, der große Yogin, der Dreiaugige—durch den Himmel. Dann stieg er rasch aus den Höhen herab und ließ sich auf dem Gipfel eines Berges nieder, gleichsam auf dem „Haupt“ des Erdentägers.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights Śiva as a ‘mahāyogin’—one whose yogic mastery transcends ordinary limits. Ethically, it frames divine power as disciplined sovereignty (prabhutva) rather than mere force, preparing the listener to treat the ensuing account with reverence and attentiveness.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śiva, the three-eyed Lord, travels through the sky and then swiftly descends to land on a mountain summit (the ‘head’ of the earth-bearer). It is a scene-setting moment introducing Śiva’s arrival at a specific sacred location.