Shloka 3

Śakuntalā-Janma-Nāmakaraṇa (Birth and Naming of Śakuntalā) | शकुन्तला-जन्म-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

दहनोथथेश्वरश्वैव कपाली च महाद्युति: । स्थाणुर्भवश्व भगवान्‌ रुद्रा एकादश स्मृता:,मृगव्याध, सर्प, महायशस्वी निर्क्रति, अजैकपाद, अहिर्डुध्न्य, शत्रुसंतापन पिनाकी, दहन, ईश्वर, परम कान्तिमान्‌ कपाली, स्थाणु और भगवान्‌ भव-ये ग्यारह रुद्र माने गये हैं

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Mṛgavyādhaḥ sarpaś ca mahāyaśasvī nirkṛtir ajai kapād ahirbudhnyaḥ śatrusaṃtāpanaḥ pinākī dahanas tathā īśvaraś caiva kapālī ca mahādyutiḥ | sthāṇur bhavaś ca bhagavān rudrā ekādaśa smṛtāḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను— దహనుడు, ఈశ్వరుడు, మహాతేజస్సుగల కపాలీ, స్థాణువు, భగవాన్ భవుడు— వీరిని కూడా స్మృతులు పేర్కొంటాయి; ఈ విధంగా రుద్రులు పదకొండు అని స్మరించబడతారు.

Word by Word

• दहनः: Dahana (the burning one; a name of Rudra)
• दहनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उत्थितः: risen, arisen
• उत्थितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु) → उत्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ईश्वरः: Lord (Īśvara)
• ईश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• कपाली: Kapālī (skull-bearer; a name of Rudra)
• कपाली: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• महाद्युतिः: of great splendor
• महाद्युतिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाद्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थाणुः: Sthāṇu (the immovable one; a name of Rudra)
• स्थाणुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवः: Bhava (a name of Rudra)
• भवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• भगवान्: the Blessed/Lordly one
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्मृताः: are remembered/are considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Perfective/Resultative (past participle used predicatively), Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Rudras (eleven forms)
• Mṛgavyādha
• Sarpa
• Nirkṛti
• Ajekapād
• Ahirbudhnya
• Śatrusaṃtāpana
• Pinākī
• Pināka (bow)
• Dahana
• Īśvara
• Kapālī
• Sthāṇu
• Bhava

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse preserves a traditional enumeration of the eleven Rudras, highlighting how one divine principle (Rudra/Śiva) is understood through multiple names that express different functions—fierce destruction, sovereign protection, ascetic power, and cosmic stability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is reciting a recognized list of Rudra’s eleven forms. The passage functions as a catalog within the larger genealogical/cosmological material of the Ādi Parva, anchoring later references to Rudra by specifying his established epithets.