Shloka 72

Devanagari script

अक्ष॑ कृत्वा तु नागेन्द्रं शेषं नाम त्रिलोचन: । चक्रे कृत्वा तु चन्द्रार्कों देवदेव: पिनाकधृक्‌

Transliteration

akṣaṃ kṛtvā tu nāgendraṃ śeṣaṃ nāma trilocanaḥ | cakre kṛtvā tu candrārkau devadevaḥ pinākadhṛk ||

Translation

ವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ತ್ರಿನೇತ್ರ, ಪಿನಾಕಧಾರಿ ದೇವದೇವ (ಶಿವ) ನಾಗೇಂದ್ರ ಶೇಷನನ್ನು ರಥದ ಅಕ್ಷವನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿ, ಚಂದ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಸೂರ್ಯರನ್ನು ಎರಡು ಚಕ್ರಗಳನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದನು.

Word by Word

अक्षम्axle/pivot

कृत्वाhaving made

तुbut/indeed

नागेन्द्रम्the lord of serpents

शेषम्Śeṣa (the serpent)

नामby name/namely

त्रिलोचनःthe three-eyed one (Śiva)

चक्रम्wheel

चक्रेmade/constructed

कृत्वाhaving made

तुand/indeed

चन्द्रार्कौthe moon and the sun

देवदेवःthe god of gods

पिनाकधृक्the bearer of the Pināka (bow)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Śiva (Trilocana, Devadeva, Pinākadhṛk)

Śeṣa (Nāgendra)

Moon (Candra)

Sun (Arka)

Pināka (Śiva’s bow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that cosmic power and even the greatest forces of nature are subordinate to the divine order. In ethical terms, it encourages humility: human prowess—especially in the context of war—should be understood as limited and accountable to a higher dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a grand, mythic image of Śiva’s supremacy: Śiva makes the serpent-king Śeṣa the axle and the Sun and Moon the wheels, portraying a cosmic chariot-like construction that signals divine control over the universe.