Shloka 18

Gift of Sudarshana — The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

तम्स्य दुष्टं भगवानभिप्रायं जनार्दनः ज्ञात्वा तस्य वधाकाङ्क्षी महेश्वरमुपागमत्

Transliteration

tamsya duṣṭaṃ bhagavānabhiprāyaṃ janārdanaḥ jñātvā tasya vadhākāṅkṣī maheśvaramupāgamat

Translation

Janārdana (Viṣṇu), having understood that being’s wicked intention, and desiring his destruction, approached Maheśvara (Śiva).

Speakers

• Narrator voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing Viṣṇu’s action; explicit interlocutors not stated in the verse.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Janardana/Hari)
• Shiva (Maheshvara)

Key Themes

• Shaiva-Vaishnava Unity
• Protection of cosmic order (dharma)
• Deva strategy against adharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Viṣṇu approach Maheśvara instead of acting alone?

In the Andhaka cycle, the Purāṇas often frame the resolution as a coordinated divine response: Viṣṇu recognizes the threat and aligns with Śiva, emphasizing functional unity among deities in restoring dharma.

Who is the ‘wicked-intentioned one’ implied here?

Within the Andhaka-vadha narrative arc, the referent is typically Andhaka (or a closely related asuric agent) whose adharma prompts divine intervention; the verse itself signals recognition of a hostile resolve without naming him.

What theological point is conveyed by ‘desiring his slaying’?

It presents divine violence as dharma-protective rather than personal: the ‘vadhākāṅkṣā’ is directed toward removing a cosmic obstruction (adharma) and is immediately followed by seeking Śiva’s participation, reinforcing legitimacy and order.