Shloka 157
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
वल्गते जृम्भते चैव रुदते रोदयत्यपि । उन्मत्तमत्तरूपं च भाषते चापि सुस्वर:
valgati jṛmbhate caiva rudate rodayaty api | unmattamattarūpaṃ ca bhāṣate cāpi susvaraḥ ||
Vāsudeva dit : «Il bondit et s’étire en bâillant ; il pleure et fait aussi pleurer les autres. Tantôt il parle comme un fou ou un ivre, tantôt il prononce d’excellentes paroles d’une voix suave.»
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse portrays Rudra’s paradoxical, multi-faceted divinity: he can appear wild, unsettling, or socially transgressive, yet he also speaks with sweetness and excellence. Ethically, it cautions against judging spiritual greatness by outward behavior alone and points to a divine freedom that transcends ordinary categories.
Vāsudeva is describing Bhagavān Rudra’s observable conduct—leaping, yawning, crying, making others cry, speaking like a madman or drunkard, and then speaking beautifully—emphasizing Rudra’s awe-inspiring and unpredictable nature within the discourse of Anuśāsana Parva.