Shloka 178
रुद्र-स्तवराजः (Rudra-Stavarāja) — Exempla of Śiva’s Boons and the Hymn’s Phalaśruti
नारायणाय साध्याय समाधिष्ठाय धीमते । यमाय प्राह भगवान् साध्यो नारायणो<च्युत:
nārāyaṇāya sādhyāya samādhiṣṭhāya dhīmate | yamāya prāha bhagavān sādhyo nārāyaṇo 'cyutaḥ ||
Vāyu said: “To Nārāyaṇa—who is also called Sādhya—who is established in perfect absorption (samādhi), and who is supremely wise, the blessed Sādhya, Nārāyaṇa, the unfailing one (Acyuta), spoke these words to Yama.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Nārāyaṇa (Acyuta) as the supreme, unwavering authority—established in samādhi and wisdom—whose instruction is fit to be delivered even to Yama, the cosmic upholder of dharma. It underscores reverence for divine speech and the ethical weight of teachings grounded in perfect insight.
Vāyu is narrating a transmission of teaching: Nārāyaṇa (also called Sādhya) addresses Yama. The verse functions as a narrative bridge, identifying the speaker and the exalted status of the one who speaks, before the content of the instruction that follows.