Shloka 77

Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

चतुर्मुखो महालिड्ल्‍शश्चवारुलिड्रस्तथैव च | लिड्डाध्यक्ष: सुराध्यक्षो योगाध्यक्षो युगावह:

Transliteration

caturmukho mahāliṅgaś cāru-liṅgas tathaiva ca | liṅgādhyakṣaḥ surādhyakṣo yogādhyakṣo yugāvahaḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu disse: “Ele é de quatro faces; Ele é o Grande Liṅga em si, e também o Belo Liṅga. Ele preside o Liṅga (e os meios de conhecimento válido pelos quais ele é apreendido); é o senhor dos deuses; preside o yoga; e carrega e sustenta a sucessão dos quatro yugas.”

Word by Word

• चतुर्मुखः: four-faced
• चतुर्मुखः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्मुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महालिङ्गः: of great liṅga-form / having a great emblem
• महालिङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महालिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• चारुलिङ्गः: having a beautiful liṅga / beautiful-marked
• चारुलिङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चारुलिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

• लिङ्गाध्यक्षः: overseer/lord of the liṅga
• लिङ्गाध्यक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्गाध्यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुराध्यक्षः: lord of the gods
• सुराध्यक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराध्यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• योगाध्यक्षः: overseer/lord of yoga
• योगाध्यक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगाध्यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युगावहः: bearer/sustainer of the yugas
• युगावहः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युगावह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Śiva (implied by liṅga-epithets)
• Liṅga
• Devas (suras)
• Yugas (the four ages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a devotional-theological portrait of Śiva as the supreme regulator: he is not only worshipped in the form of the Liṅga but is also the presiding power over divine governance (devas), inner discipline (yoga), and cosmic time (the yugas). Ethically, it implies that dharma is upheld through alignment with this higher order—ritual devotion, self-control, and respect for cosmic law.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is speaking in praise, listing honorific epithets that describe Śiva’s forms and functions. The speech functions as a stotra-like enumeration, situating Śiva as the authoritative principle behind worship (liṅga), divine hierarchy (suras), spiritual practice (yoga), and the unfolding of ages (yugas).