Shloka 49

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

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

कालयोगी महानाद: सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथ: । निशाचर: प्रेतचारी भूतचारी महेश्वर:

Transliteration

kālayogī mahānādaḥ sarvakāmaśnatuṣpathaḥ | niśācaraḥ pretacārī bhūtacārī maheśvaraḥ ||

Translation

वायु बोले—वह काल-योग का स्वामी, महानाद वाला है; समस्त कामनाओं का क्षय करने वाला, और जिसका मार्ग दुराराध्य है। वह रात्रि में विचरता है, प्रेतों के बीच चलता है, भूतों के साथ विचरण करता है—वही महेश्वर है।

Word by Word

• कालयोगी: one who is united with/masters Time (a yogin of Time)
• कालयोगी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालयोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महानादः: the great-sounding/one of mighty roar
• महानादः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानाद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथः: he whose path is to eat/consume all desires (i.e., destroyer of all desires)
• सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वकामश्नतुष्पथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निशाचरः: night-roamer
• निशाचरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेतचारी: one who moves among/with the departed spirits (preta-roamer)
• प्रेतचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूतचारी: one who moves among/with beings/spirits (bhūta-roamer)
• भूतचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेश्वरः: the great Lord
• महेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse exalts Maheśvara as a cosmic power beyond ordinary human measures: Time-bound yet Time-governing, insatiable in consuming all desires, and sovereign over liminal realms (night, spirits, the dead). Ethically, it points to the limits of desire and the supremacy of a higher order that transcends fearsome appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is describing Maheśvara through a chain of epithets, emphasizing his awe-inspiring, otherworldly sovereignty—especially his association with Time and with beings of the night and spirit-world—within a devotional or laudatory context.