Shloka 26
Atithi’s Direction to the Nāga-sage Padma at Naimiṣa (अतिथ्युपदेशः—नैमिषे पद्मनागोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
त्रिपुरवधार्थ दीक्षामुपगतस्य रुद्रस्य उशनसा जटा: शिरस उत्तृत्य प्रयुक्तास्ततः प्रादुर्भूता भुजगास्तैरस्य भुजगैः पीड्यमान: कण्ठो नीलतामुपगत: पूर्वे च मन्वन्तरे स्वायम्भुवे नारायणहस्तग्रहणान्नीलकण्ठत्वमेव च,जिस समय रुद्रने त्रिपुरनिवासी दैत्योंके वधके लिये दीक्षा ली थी, उस समय शुक्राचार्यने अपने मस्तकसे जटाएँ उखाड़कर उन्हींका महादेवजीपर प्रयोग किया। फिर तो उन जटाओंसे बहुतेरे सर्प उत्पन्न हुए, जिन्होंने रुद्रदेवके कण्ठमें डँसना आरम्भ किया। इससे उनका कण्ठ नीला हो गया तथा पहले स्वायम्भुव मन्वन्तरमें नारायणने अपने हाथसे उनका कण्ठ पकड़ा था, इसलिये भी कण्ठका रंग नीला हो जानेसे वे रुद्रदेव नीलकण्ठ हो गये
Arjuna uvāca—tripuravadhārthaṁ dīkṣām upagatasya rudrasya uśanasā jaṭāḥ śirasa utkr̥tya prayuktās tataḥ prādurbhūtā bhujagās tair asya bhujagaiḥ pīḍyamānaḥ kaṇṭho nīlatām upagataḥ; pūrve ca manvantare svāyambhuve nārāyaṇa-hasta-grahaṇān nīlakaṇṭhatvam eva ca.
Arjuna disse: “Quando Rudra assumiu o voto de consagração (dīkṣā) para matar os demônios que habitavam Tripura, Uśanas (Śukra) arrancou de sua própria cabeça as mechas entrançadas (jaṭā) e as empregou contra Mahādeva. Dessas mechas manifestaram-se muitas serpentes; e, ao morderem e apertarem a garganta de Rudra, seu pescoço tornou-se azul. Além disso, no antigo Manvantara de Svāyambhuva, Nārāyaṇa havia-lhe agarrado a garganta com a mão; por essa razão também, quando a cor de sua garganta se fez azul, Rudra passou a ser conhecido como Nīlakaṇṭha.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames divine epithets as arising from concrete acts and trials: Rudra’s ‘blue throat’ signifies endurance under affliction during a sacred undertaking (dīkṣā) and also reflects a prior cosmic episode involving Nārāyaṇa. Ethically, it highlights steadfastness in vowed duty and the idea that even great power is marked by the capacity to bear suffering for a larger purpose.
As Rudra prepares (through dīkṣā) to destroy the demon stronghold Tripura, Uśanas (Śukra), aligned with the Asuras, uses his torn-out matted locks as a hostile rite. Serpents arise from those locks and afflict Rudra’s throat, turning it blue. The text adds an older cause: in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara, Nārāyaṇa once grasped Rudra’s throat, reinforcing the epithet Nīlakaṇṭha.