Shloka 47

Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

१३३ अज:ः--अजन्मा, १३४ बहुरूप:--बहुत-से रूप धारण करनेवाले, १३५ गन्धधारी--कुंकुम और कस्तूरी आदि सुगन्धित पदार्थ धारण करनेवाले, १३६ कपर्दी-- जटाजूटधारी, १३७ ऊर्ध्वरेता:--अखण्डित ब्रह्मचर्यवाले, १३८ ऊर्ध्वलिजड्ा:--, १३९ ऊर्ध्वशायी--आकाशमें शयन करनेवाले, १४० नभ: स्थलः--आकाश जिनका वासस्थान है वे ।। त्रिजटी चीरवासाश्न रुद्र: सेनापतिर्वि भु: । अहश्नरो नक्तंचरस्तिग्ममन्यु: सुवर्चस:,१४१३१ त्रिजटी--तीन जटा धारण करनेवाले, १४२ चीरवासा:--वल्कल वस्त्र पहननेवाले, १४३ रुद्र:--दुःखको दूर भगानेवाले, १४४ सेनापति:--सेनानायक, १४५ विभु:--सर्वव्यापी, १४६ अहश्नर:--दिनमें विचरनेवाले, १४७ नक्तंचर:--रातमें विचरनेवाले, १४८ तिग्ममन्यु:--तीखे क्रोधवाले, १४९ सुवर्चसः--सुन्दर तेजवाले

Transliteration

ajāḥ ajanmā bahurūpo gandhadhārī kapardī ūrdhvaretā ūrdhvaliṅgaḥ ūrdhvaśāyī nabhasthalaḥ || trijaṭī cīravāsāś ca rudraḥ senāpatir vibhuḥ | ahaścaraḥ naktaṃcaraś tigmamanyuḥ suvarcasaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva said: He is the Unborn, birthless, of many forms; the bearer of fragrance (as of sacred perfumes), the matted-haired ascetic; one whose vital energy is held upward—steadfast in unbroken continence; whose emblem is uplifted; who lies above, as though resting in the sky; for whom the open firmament is a dwelling-place. He is three-tressed, clad in bark-garments; Rudra, the remover of distress; the commander of hosts, all-pervading; moving by day and moving by night; fierce in wrath against wrongdoing, yet radiant with splendid brilliance.

Word by Word

त्रिजटीhaving three matted locks

चीरवासाwearing bark/cloth garments

रुद्रःRudra (a name of Śiva)

सेनापतिःcommander of the army

विभुःall-pervading, mighty

अहश्चरःmoving by day

नक्तंचरःmoving by night

तिग्ममन्युःof sharp wrath

सुवर्चसःof splendid radiance

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Rudra (Śiva)

liṅga (emblem)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches reverence for the divine as simultaneously transcendent (unborn, all-pervading) and immanent (active by day and night), and it upholds ascetic self-mastery—especially brahmacarya—as a source of spiritual power and radiance directed toward the protection of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is praising Rudra/Śiva through a litany of epithets, describing his ascetic marks, cosmic dwelling, leadership of divine hosts, and fierce energy that opposes wrongdoing, as part of a broader devotional and ethical discourse in the Anuśāsana Parva.