Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 147
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
छागशार्दूलरूपश्न अनेकमृगरूपधृक् । अण्डजानां च दिव्यानां वपुर्धारयते भव:
chāgaśārdūlarūpaś ca anekamṛgarūpadhṛk | aṇḍajānāṃ ca divyānāṃ vapur dhārayate bhavaḥ ||
Vāsudeva said: “Bhava (Śiva) assumes bodies in many forms—appearing even as a goat and as a tiger; he also takes on the shapes of diverse wild animals, and even the forms of divine birds. The teaching underscores the Lord’s all-pervading, protean presence and invites reverence toward life in its many manifestations.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that Śiva (Bhava) is not confined to a single appearance; he can manifest in countless embodied forms, even as animals and birds. Ethically, it supports a dharmic attitude of humility and reverence toward the diversity of living beings, seeing the divine presence permeating creation.
Vāsudeva is describing Śiva’s capacity to assume many forms. By listing animal and bird embodiments, he emphasizes Śiva’s vast, all-encompassing nature and the wondrous scope of divine manifestation.