Shloka 147

Devanagari script

छागशार्दूलरूपश्न अनेकमृगरूपधृक्‌ । अण्डजानां च दिव्यानां वपुर्धारयते भव:

Transliteration

chāgaśārdūlarūpaś ca anekamṛgarūpadhṛk | aṇḍajānāṃ ca divyānāṃ vapur dhārayate bhavaḥ ||

Translation

ヴァースデーヴァは言った。「バヴァ（シヴァ）は多様な姿の身を取り、山羊としても虎としても現れる。さらに種々の野獣の形を帯び、神妙なる天の鳥の姿さえ取られる。この教えは、主の遍在し変幻自在なる臨在を示し、生命が示す多様な相そのものへの敬虔を促す。」

Word by Word

• छागशार्दूलरूपश्नः: one who eats (assumes/feeds on) the forms of goat and tiger
• छागशार्दूलरूपश्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छाग-शार्दूल-रूप-श्न (श्न = श्निन् प्रत्ययान्त, 'भक्षयिता/आहारकर्ता')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनेकमृगरूपधृक्: bearer of many forms of wild animals
• अनेकमृगरूपधृक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक-मृग-रूप-धृक् (धृक् < धृ धातु, 'धारयति')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अण्डजानाम्: of egg-born beings (birds etc.)
• अण्डजानाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्डज
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दिव्यानाम्: of divine (celestial)
• दिव्यानाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वपुः: body, form
• वपुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धारयते: bears, assumes
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धारणे)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

• भवः: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (शिवनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhava (Śiva)
• goat
• tiger
• wild animals (mṛga)
• divine birds (aṇḍaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that Śiva (Bhava) is not confined to a single appearance; he can manifest in countless embodied forms, even as animals and birds. Ethically, it supports a dharmic attitude of humility and reverence toward the diversity of living beings, seeing the divine presence permeating creation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāsudeva is describing Śiva’s capacity to assume many forms. By listing animal and bird embodiments, he emphasizes Śiva’s vast, all-encompassing nature and the wondrous scope of divine manifestation.