Shloka 19
तस्य पारिषदा दिव्या रूपैर्नानाविधैरविंभो: । वामना जटिला मुण्डा हस्वग्रीवा महोदरा:,भगवान् शंकरके दिव्य पार्षद नाना प्रकारके रूपोंमें दिखायी देते हैं। उनमेंसे कोई वामन (बौने), कोई जटाधारी, कोई मुण्डित मस्तकवाले और कोई छोटी गर्दनवाले हैं। किन्हींके पेट बड़े हैं तो किन्हींके सारे शरीर ही विशाल हैं। कुछ पार्षदोंके कान बहुत बड़े- बड़े हैं। वे सब बड़े उत्साही होते हैं। कितनोंके मुख विकृत हैं और कितनोंके पैर। अर्जुन! उन सबके वेष भी बड़े विकराल हैं
tasya pāriṣadā divyā rūpair nānāvidhair avimbhoḥ | vāmanā jaṭilā muṇḍā hrasvagrīvā mahodarāḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “Around him were the divine attendants, appearing in many different forms—some dwarf-like, some with matted locks, some with shaven heads, some with short necks, and some with great bellies. Their varied and fearsome appearances proclaim the overwhelming, otherworldly power that accompanies Śaṅkara, reminding the onlooker that the divine cannot be confined to a single pleasing form and that awe and restraint are also part of righteous understanding.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that divine reality manifests in countless forms, including terrifying and unconventional ones; ethical understanding (dharma) includes humility and restraint before powers beyond human control, rather than judging solely by outward appearance.
Vyāsa describes the extraordinary retinue of Śaṅkara—his divine attendants (gaṇas/pāriṣadas)—whose bodies and features vary widely (dwarf-like, matted-haired, shaven-headed, short-necked, big-bellied), emphasizing the formidable presence accompanying the deity in the war-time narrative setting.