Shloka 53
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
देवदेव: शिव: सर्वो जागर्ति सतत प्रभु: ।। कपर्दी शड्करो रुद्र: शिव: स्थाणुरुमापति:,इस दण्डके रूपमें देवाधिदेव कल्याणस्वरूप सर्वात्मा प्रभु जटाजूटधारी उमावललभ दुःखहारी स्थाणु-स्वरूप एवं लोक-मंगलकारी भगवान् शिव ही सदा जाग्रत रहते हैं
devadevaḥ śivaḥ sarvo jāgarti satataṃ prabhuḥ | kapardī śaṅkaro rudraḥ śivaḥ sthāṇur umāpatiḥ ||
Vasuharoma said: The Lord of lords—Śiva, the all-pervading sovereign—remains ever awake and vigilant. He is Kapardī, the matted-haired one; Śaṅkara, the beneficent; Rudra, the awe-inspiring; Śiva, the auspicious; Sthāṇu, the immovable; and Umāpati, the consort of Umā. In this praise, the teaching is that the supreme divine presence is ceaselessly watchful and protective, sustaining the world’s welfare and removing suffering for those who take refuge.
वसुहरोम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the supreme Lord (Śiva) is ever-vigilant and all-pervading, embodying both benevolence (Śaṅkara/Śiva) and awe-inspiring power (Rudra). Remembering his many epithets reinforces trust in divine protection and commitment to world-welfare (loka-maṅgala).
Within Śānti Parva’s reflective discourse, Vasuharoma offers a hymn-like enumeration of Śiva’s names and qualities, presenting him as the ever-awake guardian and auspicious refuge, thereby grounding ethical peace and stability in devotion and recognition of the supreme.