Shloka 115
The Bhīma-Dvādaśī
Kalyāṇinī) Vow and the Anangadāna-Vrata (with a Courtesan-Conduct Discourse
नमः शिवाय शांताय पाशांकुशधराय च । गदिने पीतवस्त्राय शंखचक्रधराय च
namaḥ śivāya śāṃtāya pāśāṃkuśadharāya ca | gadine pītavastrāya śaṃkhacakradharāya ca
ശാന്തസ്വരൂപനായ ശിവനു നമസ്കാരം; പാശവും അങ്കുശവും ധരിക്കുന്നവനു നമസ്കാരം. ഗദാധാരിയും പീതവസ്ത്രധാരിയും ആയവനു നമസ്കാരം; ശംഖചക്രധാരിയ്ക്കു നമസ്കാരം.
Unspecified (a devotional invocation/namaskāra within the narrative context)
Concept: Salutation to the peaceful divine who protects through multiple forms; cultivate śānti while honoring divine power (śakti) expressed as weapons and emblems.
Application: In prayer, hold together gentleness and firmness: seek inner peace while committing to protective dharma in action.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A composite devotional icon: the deity stands serene, one aspect holding pāśa and aṅkuśa (noose and goad) symbolizing restraint and guidance, while another aspect displays the conch and discus with a mace at the side. The face is tranquil, embodying ‘śānta’, yet the ornaments and weapons radiate protective authority.","primary_figures":["Vishnu (with syncretic epithet ‘Śiva’ as auspicious)","Attendant deities (optional: Garuda)"],"setting":"A sanctum doorway with carved lintel motifs blending Shaiva and Vaishnava symbols; incense haze and lamp flames in the foreground.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sunlit gold","turmeric yellow","ash-gray accents","royal blue","copper bronze"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central deity with conch, discus, mace, and additionally pāśa-aṅkuśa as symbolic attributes; thick gold leaf halo, embossed arch, rich red-green textiles, gem-studded crown; serene expression emphasizing śānti despite martial emblems.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined standing deity in a quiet shrine courtyard; subtle syncretic attributes rendered delicately; cool blues and warm golds, fine jewelry details, gentle landscape beyond the temple threshold.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized weapons and ornaments; deity’s calm face with large eyes; warm red/yellow/green palette with deep blue body tone, temple-wall composition with patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Vishnu-Krishna icon with conch and discus, ornate floral borders; symbolic pāśa-aṅkuśa integrated into decorative motifs; deep indigo background with gold highlights, lotus vines and peacocks framing the deity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","drone of tanpura","incense-scented silence (implied)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पाशांकुशधराय = पाश + अङ्कुश + धराय; शंखचक्रधराय = शङ्ख + चक्र + धराय; अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदविभागः।
FAQs
The verse functions as a combined salutation (Hari-Hara) that honors both deities’ iconic forms, reflecting a harmonizing devotional tone where reverence is offered without sectarian conflict.
They are traditional emblems of divine control and guidance—binding and restraining what must be restrained (pāśa) and directing or urging the devotee/being toward the right path (aṅkuśa).
It models humility and devotion through namaskāra, and it encourages seeing divinity through virtues and symbols—peace (śānti), guidance, protection, and the sustaining order represented by the deities’ attributes.