Shloka 145
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
हंसकाकमयूराणां कृकलासकसारसाम् | रूपाणि च बलाकानां गृध्रचक्राज़््योरपि
haṃsakākamayūrāṇāṃ kṛkalāsakasārasām | rūpāṇi ca balākānāṃ gṛdhracakrājyor api ||
वासुदेव उवाच—हंसकाकमयूराणां कृकलासकसारसाम् । रूपाणि च बलाकानां गृध्रचक्राङ्गयोः तथा ॥ महादेवो बहुधा देहधारी सर्वभूतगतो हरः; न कश्चिद् जीवोऽस्य पूज्यत्वात् बहिर्भवति।
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches divine immanence: Mahādeva is not confined to a single icon or realm but pervades living nature by assuming innumerable forms. Ethically, it supports a stance of humility and reverence toward all creatures, since the divine may be present in any being.
Vāsudeva is describing Mahādeva’s manifold manifestations, listing various birds and animals to emphasize Śiva’s all-pervading power and the breadth of his forms, as part of a broader praise/exposition of Mahādeva’s greatness in the Anuśāsana Parva.