Shloka 27
दान्तानामपि यो दान्तो धीमतामपि या च थी: । देवानामपि यो देव ऋषीणामपि यस्त्वृषि:,जो वेदोंके भी वेद, उत्तम वस्तुओंमें भी परम उत्तम, तेजके भी तेज, तपके भी तप, शान्त पुरुषोंमें भी परम शान्त, कान्तिकी भी कान्ति, जितेन्द्रियोंमें भी परम जितेन्द्रिय, बुद्धिमानोंकी भी बुद्धि, देवताओंके भी देवता, ऋषियोंके भी ऋषि, यज्ञोंके भी यज्ञ, कल्याणोंके भी कल्याण, रुद्रोंके भी रुद्र, प्रभावशाली ईश्वरोंकी भी प्रभा (ऐश्वर्य), योगियोंके भी योगी तथा कारणोंके भी कारण हैं। जिनसे सम्पूर्ण लोक उत्पन्न होते और फिर उन्हींमें विलीन हो जाते हैं, जो सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके आत्मा हैं, उन्हीं अमित तेजस्वी भगवान् शिवके एक हजार आठ नामोंका वर्णन मुझसे सुनिये। पुरुषसिंह! इसका श्रवणमात्र करके आप अपनी सम्पूर्ण कामनाओंको प्राप्त कर लेंगे
dāntānām api yo dānto dhīmatām api yā ca dhīḥ | devānām api yo deva ṛṣīṇām api yas tv ṛṣiḥ |
Vāyu said: “He who is the most self-restrained even among the self-restrained; he who is the very intellect even among the wise; he who is God even among the gods; and he who is the seer even among seers—of that immeasurably radiant Lord Śiva, the inner Self of all beings, from whom all worlds arise and into whom they dissolve, listen from me to the recital of the one thousand and eight names. O best of men, merely by hearing this, you will attain the fulfillment of all your desires.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse exalts Śiva as the supreme principle: the highest discipline among the disciplined, the highest intelligence among the wise, and the supreme divinity among gods and seers. It also teaches the devotional efficacy of śravaṇa—hearing the sacred names with reverence is presented as spiritually potent and wish-fulfilling.
Vāyudeva addresses a ‘best of men’ (a heroic listener) and introduces the forthcoming recitation of Lord Śiva’s 1008 names. He frames the hymn by describing Śiva’s supremacy and cosmic role as the source and dissolution of all worlds, then promises benefits from simply hearing the litany.