Shloka 18

Muñjavān on Himavat: Maheśvara’s abode, Śiva-stuti, and sacrificial gold

Chapter 8

Devanagari script

मृगव्याधाय महते धन्विनेडथ भवाय च | वराय सोमवक्त्राय सिद्धमन्त्राय चक्षुषे

Transliteration

mṛgavyādhāya mahate dhanvine ’tha bhavāya ca | varāya somavaktrāya siddhamantrāya cakṣuṣe ||

Translation

ମହା ମୃଗବ୍ୟାଧଙ୍କୁ, ପ୍ରବଳ ଧନୁର୍ଧରଙ୍କୁ, ଏବଂ ଭବ (ଶିବ)ଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର; ସୋମ (ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର) ସଦୃଶ ମୁଖବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠଙ୍କୁ; ସିଦ୍ଧମନ୍ତ୍ରସମ୍ପନ୍ନଙ୍କୁ, ଏବଂ ସର୍ବଦର୍ଶୀ ଚକ୍ଷୁସ୍ୱରୂପଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରଣାମ।

Word by Word

• मृगव्याधाय: to the hunter (of deer)
• मृगव्याधाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगव्याध
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• महते: to the great (one)
• महते: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• धन्विने: to the archer
• धन्विने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• भवाय: to Bhava (Śiva)
• भवाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

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

• वराय: to the excellent/boon-giving (one)
• वराय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सोमवक्त्राय: to him whose face is (like) the moon
• सोमवक्त्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमवक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सिद्धमन्त्राय: to (him of) accomplished/effective mantras
• सिद्धमन्त्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धमन्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• चक्षुषे: to the eye; to the seer
• चक्षुषे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस्
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

Speaker

संवर्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Saṃvarta
• Bhava (Śiva)
• Soma (Moon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic speech: before asserting power or giving consequential counsel, one invokes the higher moral and spiritual authority symbolized by Śiva—great, disciplined, and all-seeing—implying that effective action must be guided by reverence, restraint, and accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Saṃvarta begins (or punctuates) his discourse with a devotional salutation, praising a divine figure through multiple epithets—Hunter, Archer, Bhava, moon-faced, possessor of perfected mantras, and the Eye—thereby framing the ensuing narrative or instruction within a sacred, legitimizing invocation.