यास्य घोरतमा मूर्तिर्जगत् संहरते तथा । ईश्वरत्वान्महत्त्वाच्च महेश्वर इति स्मृत:
yāsya ghoratamā mūrtir jagat saṃharate tathā | īśvaratvān mahattvācca maheśvara iti smṛtaḥ ||
Vāyu dit : «Sa forme la plus terrible opère la dissolution du monde. Et parce qu’il possède la souveraineté suprême et la grandeur, on se souvient de lui sous le nom de “Maheśvara” (le Grand Seigneur).»
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse explains why Śiva is called “Maheśvara”: his supreme sovereignty (īśvaratva) and greatness (mahattva) include the power to dissolve the cosmos through his awe-inspiring form, emphasizing divine authority over cosmic cycles.
Vāyu is describing Śiva’s attributes and names, highlighting a particular fearsome manifestation responsible for cosmic dissolution and concluding that these qualities justify the epithet “Maheśvara.”