Shloka 38

Devanagari script

उमापतिं विरूपाक्ष॑ दक्षयज्ञनिबर्हणम्‌ । प्रजानां पतिमव्यग्रं भूतानां पतिमव्ययम्‌

Transliteration

umāpatiṃ virūpākṣaṃ dakṣayajñanibarhaṇam | prajānāṃ patim avyagraṃ bhūtānāṃ patim avyayam ||

Translation

వ్యాసుడు పలికెను—ఉమాపతి విరూపాక్షుడు, దక్షయజ్ఞాన్ని నాశనం చేసినవాడు; ప్రజల అవ్యగ్రాధిపతి, సమస్త భూతాల అవ్యయాధిపతి—(ఆయనను స్మరిస్తాను/నమస్కరిస్తాను).

Word by Word

उमापतिम्Umā's lord (Śiva)

विरूपाक्षम्the odd-/three-eyed one (Śiva)

दक्षयज्ञनिबर्हणम्the destroyer of Dakṣa's sacrifice

प्रजानाम्of creatures/subjects

पतिम्lord

अव्यग्रम्unagitated, undistracted

भूतानाम्of beings

पतिम्lord

अव्ययम्imperishable, undecaying

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Umā (Pārvatī)

Śiva (Umāpati, Virūpākṣa)

Dakṣa

Dakṣa’s yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma is not mere ritual display; when sacrifice is driven by arrogance and exclusion, it becomes adharma. Śiva is portrayed as the imperishable, calm lord who corrects such distortion and re-establishes moral and cosmic balance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes Śiva through well-known epithets: Umā’s consort, Virūpākṣa, and the one who overthrew Dakṣa’s yajña. The verse functions as a reverential identification of Śiva’s supremacy and his role as guardian of beings and order.