Shloka 31

Devanagari script

शितिकण्ठमजं शुक्र पृथुं पृथुहरं वरम्‌ । विश्वरूपं विरूपाक्ष॑ बहुरूपमुमापतिम्‌,इस प्रकार उन पिनाकधारी, महादेव, महायोगी, अविनाशी, हाथमें त्रिशूल धारण करनेवाले, वरदायक, त्र्यम्बक, भुवनेश्वर, त्रिपुरासुरको मारनेवाले, त्रिनेत्रधारी, त्रिभुवनके स्वामी, महान्‌ बलवान, सब जीवोंकी उत्पत्तिक कारण, सबको धारण करनेवाले, पृथ्वीका भार सँभालनेवाले, जगत्‌के शासक, कल्याणकारी, सर्वरूप, शिव, विश्वेश्वर, जगत्‌को उत्पन्न करनेवाले, पार्वतीके पति, पशुओंके पालक, विश्वरूप, महेश्वर, विरूपाक्ष, दस भुजाधारी, अपनी ध्वजामें दिव्य वृषभका चिह्न धारण करनेवाले, उग्र, स्थाणु, शिव, रुद्र, शर्व, गौरीश, ईश्वर, शितिकण्ठ, अजन्मा, शुक्र, पृथु, पृथुहर, वर, विश्वरूप, विरूपाक्ष, बहुरूप, उमापति, कामदेवको भस्म करनेवाले, हर, चतुर्मुख एवं शरणागतवत्सल महादेवजीको सिरसे प्रणाम करके उनके शरणापन्न हो जाना

Transliteration

śitikaṇṭham ajaṃ śukraṃ pṛthuṃ pṛthuharaṃ varam | viśvarūpaṃ virūpākṣaṃ bahurūpam umāpatim ||

Translation

Saṃvarta said: “I take refuge in Mahādeva—blue-throated, unborn, radiant and pure; broad and mighty, the remover of the earth’s burden, the supreme boon-giver; the Lord of the universe, the many-formed One; Virūpākṣa; and Umāpati, the consort of Umā.”

Word by Word

शितिकण्ठम्the blue-throated one (Śiva)

अजम्the unborn one

शुक्रम्the bright/pure one

पृथुम्the vast/broad one

पृथुहरम्Pṛthu-hara (epithet of Śiva; 'remover/destroyer of Pṛthu' or 'one who bears/holds the vast')

वरम्the excellent/boon-giving one

विश्वरूपम्the one of universal form

विरूपाक्षम्the odd/varied-eyed one (Virūpākṣa)

बहुरूपम्the many-formed one

उमापतिम्the lord of Umā (Śiva)

Speaker

संवर्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

Saṃvarta

Śiva (Mahādeva/Rudra) as Śitikaṇṭha, Aja, Śukra, Viśvarūpa, Virūpākṣa, Bahurūpa, Umāpati

Umā (Pārvatī)

Pṛthvī (Earth) (implied by pṛthuhara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 models śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) through stuti: invoking the deity by many epithets expresses humility and dependence on divine order. Ethically, it suggests that true strength is grounded in alignment with the cosmic protector and the auspicious, not merely in personal capability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Saṃvarta offers a concentrated praise of Śiva by listing his defining names—blue-throated, unborn, boon-giving, universal-formed, many-formed, Umā’s lord—functioning as a devotional invocation before or during an important action, seeking protection and success through divine favor.