Shloka 36

दक्षयज्ञध्वंसः—वीरभद्रप्रेषणं, देवविष्ण्वोः पराजयः, पुनरनुग्रहः

Devanagari script

अरिष्टनेमिनं वीरो बहुपुत्रं मुनीश्वरम् मुनिम् अङ्गिरसं चैव कृष्णाश्वं च महाबलः

Transliteration

ariṣṭaneminaṃ vīro bahuputraṃ munīśvaram munim aṅgirasaṃ caiva kṛṣṇāśvaṃ ca mahābalaḥ

Translation

That mighty and heroic Lord (Pati), possessed of great power, is also known as Ariṣṭanemi; as Bahuputra, the Father of many spiritual lineages; as Munīśvara, the Lord of sages; as Aṅgirasa, the blazing seerly fire of sacred insight; and as Kṛṣṇāśva, He whose dark steed signifies mastery of the senses and the swift movement of consciousness toward liberation.

Word by Word

• अरिष्टनेमिनम् (ariṣṭaneminam): Ariṣṭanemi, the one with an unfailing/unyielding rim (protector, unfailing order)

• वीरः (vīraḥ): the heroic one

• बहुपुत्रम् (bahuputram): having many sons, source of many progenies/lineages

• मुनीश्वरम् (munīśvaram): Lord of sages

• मुनिम् (munim): the sage (seer-form)

• अङ्गिरसम् (aṅgirasaṃ): belonging to/identified with Aṅgiras, the radiant seer-fire

• च एव (caiva): and indeed

• कृष्णाश्वम् (kṛṣṇāśvam): Kṛṣṇāśva, ‘dark-horsed’ (symbol of controlled prāṇa/senses)

• च (ca): and

• महाबलः (mahābalaḥ): the greatly powerful one

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-stuti/Sahasranama to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ariṣṭanemi
• Aṅgiras

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It functions as a nāma-stuti: by reciting Shiva’s epithets, the devotee aligns the pashu (individual soul) with Pati (Shiva), loosening pasha (bondage) through remembrance (smaraṇa) and devotion centered on the Linga as the supreme sign of the Lord.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is shown as transcendent yet immanent: He is the heroic protector (Ariṣṭanemi), the source of many spiritual lineages (Bahuputra), the Lord and inner light of sages (Munīśvara/Aṅgirasa), and the master of dynamic power that governs mind and senses (Kṛṣṇāśva, Mahābala).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Primarily japa of Shiva-nāmas (Sahasranama-style recitation); secondarily a Pāśupata-oriented discipline of indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint) and directed consciousness, suggested by the epithet Kṛṣṇāśva (the ‘steed’ as a symbol of controlled inner movement).