Shloka 8
देवानां सुमहान् यच्च यच्चास्य विषयो महान् | यच्च विश्व महत् पाति महादेवस्तत: स्मृत:,वे देवताओंमें महान् हैं, उनका विषय भी महान् है तथा वे महान् विश्वकी रक्षा करते हैं; इसलिये “महादेव” कहलाते हैं
devānāṃ sumahān yac ca yac cāsya viṣayo mahān | yac ca viśvaṃ mahat pāti mahādevas tataḥ smṛtaḥ ||
Vāyu said: “He is exceedingly great among the gods; his sphere of power is vast; and he protects this mighty universe. Therefore he is remembered by the name ‘Mahādeva’—the Great God.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse explains the epithet “Mahādeva” as grounded in Śiva’s supreme greatness among the gods, the vastness of his dominion, and his role as protector of the universe—linking divine greatness with cosmic responsibility.
Vāyu is speaking in praise/definition of Mahādeva, giving reasons for why Śiva is known by that title: his preeminence among the devas, his expansive sphere of power, and his guardianship of the world.