Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 101

Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

बन्धनो बन्धकर्ता च सुबन्धनविमोचन: । सयज्ञारि: सकामारिर्महादंष्टी महायुध:

Transliteration

bandhano bandhakartā ca subandhanavimocanaḥ | sayajñāriḥ sakāmārir mahādaṃṣṭī mahāyudhaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva dit : «Il est la Servitude elle-même, et il est aussi l’Auteur de la servitude ; pourtant, il est le Libérateur des liens les plus serrés. Il se tient aux côtés de ceux qui s’opposent au sacrifice (yajña) de Dakṣa, et aux côtés de ceux qui ont vaincu le désir. Il est le Grand-aux-Crocs, et le Porteur d’armes puissantes.»

Word by Word

• बन्धनः: the binder; bondage (as an epithet)
• बन्धनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बन्धकर्ता: maker/author of bondage
• बन्धकर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्ध-कर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• सुबन्धनविमोचनः: liberator from strong bondage
• सुबन्धनविमोचनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-बन्धन-विमोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सयज्ञारिः: one associated with the enemy of the sacrifice (yajña)
• सयज्ञारिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-यज्ञ-अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सकामारिः: one associated with the foe of Kāma (desire)
• सकामारिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-काम-अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महादंष्टी: great-fanged; having huge tusks
• महादंष्टी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-दंष्ट्रिन्/दंष्टी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महायुधः: great-weaponed; bearing mighty weapons
• महायुधः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Dakṣa-yajña (implied by ‘yajña’ and its opponents)
• Māyā (implied by the gloss on subandhanavimocanaḥ)
• Narasiṃha (implied by the gloss on mahādaṃṣṭī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a deliberate paradox: the Supreme can be experienced as the force that binds beings into saṃsāra (through attachment and cosmic order) and also as the grace that frees them from even the strongest bonds. Ethically, it points to inner conquest of desire and reliance on divine liberation rather than mere external ritual.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is reciting a litany of divine epithets, praising the deity’s complex roles—creator of worldly entanglement, yet savior from it; aligned with those who opposed the Dakṣa sacrifice; and supportive of yogins who have overcome kāma—depicting both fierce and protective aspects (great fangs, mighty weapons).