Shloka 44
Adhyāya 31: Rājasūya-samāgama — The Gathering of Kings and the Ordering of Hospitality
वैश्वानरस्त्वं पिड़ेश: प्लवज्रो भूरितेजस: । कुमारसूस्त्वं भगवान् रुद्रगर्भो हिरण्यकृत्
vaiśvānaraḥ tvaṃ piṅgeśaḥ plavaṅgo bhūritejāḥ | kumārasūḥ tvaṃ bhagavān rudragarbho hiraṇyakṛt ||
Sahadeva praises the deity before him by invoking a series of sacred epithets: “You are Vaiśvānara; you are Piṅgeśa; you are Plavaṅga, the one of abundant splendor. You are the divine begetter of Kumāra (Kārttikeya). Because you possess sovereign power and excellence, you are rightly called ‘Bhagavān.’ Since you bear within you the potency of Rudra, you are known as Rudragarbha; and because you bring forth gold, you are called Hiraṇyakṛt.”
सहदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models devotional discernment: recognizing the divine through multiple names that point to functions—cosmic energy (Vaiśvānara), radiance (bhūritejas), creative potency (kumārasūḥ, rudragarbha), and prosperity (hiraṇyakṛt). Ethically, it underscores reverence and humility before higher power, expressed through truthful praise grounded in attributes.
In the Sabha Parva context, Sahadeva is speaking a hymn-like praise, identifying the addressed deity by a chain of epithets. The speech elevates the moment from courtly discourse to sacred invocation, framing the figure as a cosmic and beneficent power connected with Rudra and Kumāra.