Shloka 96
मनुष्यान् शिवमन्विच्छंस्तस्मादेष शिव: स्मृत: । अथवा उनकी जटाका रूप धूम्र वर्णका है
manuṣyān śivam anvicchan tasmād eṣa śivaḥ smṛtaḥ |
Vāyu said: “Because he seeks the welfare and auspicious good (śiva) of human beings, he is therefore remembered as ‘Śiva.’” The passage further explains that, since the matted locks (jaṭā) upon his head are smoke-hued, he is called ‘Dhūrjaṭi’; and because through every kind of action he promotes the uplift of all and intends the good of all, the name ‘Śiva’ is truly fitting.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse grounds Śiva’s very name in ethical meaning: he is called ‘Śiva’ because he actively seeks the welfare and uplift of human beings and intends the good of all.
Vāyu is explaining the significance of Śiva’s epithets—why he is known as ‘Śiva’ (beneficent) and, by traditional description, as ‘Dhūrjaṭi’ due to the smoke-hued appearance of his matted locks—linking divine names to qualities and beneficent action.