Shloka 20
Muñjavān on Himavat: Maheśvara’s abode, Śiva-stuti, and sacrificial gold
Chapter 8
पशूनां पतये चैव भूतानां पतये नमः । वृषाय मातृभक्ताय सेनान्ये मध्यमाय च
paśūnāṁ pataye caiva bhūtānāṁ pataye namaḥ | vṛṣāya mātṛbhaktāya senānye madhyamāya ca
Saṁvarta said: “Homage to the Lord of cattle and likewise to the Lord of all beings; homage to the Bull (the emblem of dharma), to Him who is devoted to the Mother, to the divine Commander of hosts, and to the One who stands in the middle (the inner ruler).” In this praise, the speaker frames righteous action as grounded in reverence for the cosmic protector—one who sustains creatures, upholds dharma, and guides beings from within.
संवर्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that dharmic life is rooted in reverence for the divine protector of all beings—one who sustains life (as lord of creatures), embodies righteousness (as the Bull of dharma), honors the Mother principle, leads and orders forces (as commander), and abides within as the central guide (madhyama).
Saṁvarta is offering a sequence of salutations—an invocation that strings together divine epithets. The narrative function is to sanctify the moment through praise, aligning the forthcoming action with cosmic guardianship, righteous order, and inner restraint.