Shloka 26

Devanagari script

रुद्रो बहुशिरा बश्रुविश्वयोनि: शुचिश्रवा: । अमृतः शाश्वतस्थाणुर्वसरोहो महातपा:

Transliteration

rudro bahuśirā baśruviśvayoniḥ śuciśravāḥ | amṛtaḥ śāśvata-sthāṇur varāroho mahātapāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Ia adalah Rudra—penghalau derita; yang berkepala banyak; pemelihara dunia-dunia; sumber lahirnya jagat raya; termasyhur dengan kemuliaan yang suci; tak mati; kekal sama dan tak tergoyahkan; pendakian tertinggi (perlindungan paling luhur untuk dicapai); dan berdaya tapa yang agung.”

Word by Word

• रुद्रः: Rudra (the remover of suffering)
• रुद्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बहुशिराः: many-headed
• बहुशिराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुशिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभ्रुः: Babhru (the sustainer/nourisher)
• बभ्रुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बभ्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वयोनिः: source/origin of the universe
• विश्वयोनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वयोनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुचिश्रवाः: of pure fame/renown
• शुचिश्रवाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिश्रवस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अमृतः: deathless, immortal
• अमृतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शाश्वतस्थाणुः: eternal and immovable/steadfast
• शाश्वतस्थाणुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वतस्थाणु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरारोहः: one who ascends the excellent (highest) state
• वरारोहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरारोह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातपाः: of great austerity/energy
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rudra (Śiva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches reverent contemplation of the divine through names that express ethical and metaphysical qualities—steadfastness, purity, immortality, and the power to remove suffering—presenting God as both the universe’s source and the highest refuge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is reciting a praise-list of Rudra/Śiva, stringing together epithets that describe his cosmic functions and spiritual supremacy, as part of a larger devotional and dharma-oriented discourse in the Anuśāsana Parva.