Shloka 17

Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

तेन मे सर्ववासानां श्मशाने रमते मन: । न्यग्रोधशाखासंछन्ने निर्भुग्नस्रग्विभूषिते

Transliteration

tena me sarvavāsānāṁ śmaśāne ramate manaḥ | nyagrodhaśākhāsaṁchannē nirbhugnasragvibhūṣite ||

Translation

ଏହିହେତୁ ସମସ୍ତ ନିବାସସ୍ଥାନମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ ମୋର ମନ ସବୁଠାରୁ ଅଧିକ ଶ୍ମଶାନରେ ହିଁ ରମେ। ସେଇ ଶ୍ମଶାନ ବଟବୃକ୍ଷର ଶାଖାମାନଙ୍କ ଛାୟାରେ ଆବୃତ ଓ ମୃତଦେହରୁ ଭାଙ୍ଗି ପଡ଼ିଥିବା ପୁଷ୍ପମାଳାଦ୍ୱାରା ଶୋଭିତ।

Word by Word

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मे: of me/my
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सर्ववासानाम्: of all dwellings/abodes
• सर्ववासानाम्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-वास
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्मशाने: in the cremation-ground
• श्मशाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मशान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• रमते: delights/rejoices
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न्यग्रोधशाखासंछन्ने: covered with banyan branches
• न्यग्रोधशाखासंछन्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यग्रोध-शाखा-संछन्न
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निर्भुग्नस्रग्विभूषिते: adorned with garlands fallen/broken off
• निर्भुग्नस्रग्विभूषिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्भुग्न-स्रज्-विभूषित
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)
• śmaśāna (cremation-ground)
• nyagrodha (banyan tree)
• srag (garlands)
• dead bodies (śava implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights vairāgya (dispassion): the cremation-ground, with its stark reminders of death and decay, becomes a preferred place for contemplation because it exposes the impermanence of beauty, status, and bodily identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara speaks about his own inclination: among all residences, his mind rests most in the śmaśāna, described as shaded by banyan branches and ornamented by broken garlands fallen from corpses—imagery that underscores his ascetic, world-transcending nature.