Shloka 23

Gift of Sudarshana — The Gift of Sudarshana: Shiva’s Boon to Vishnu and the Sanctification of Virupaksha

Devanagari script

तद् दत्त्वा देवदेवाय सर्वभूतभयप्रदम् कालचक्रनिभं चक्रं शङ्करो विष्णुमब्रवीत्

Transliteration

tad dattvā devadevāya sarvabhūtabhayapradam kālacakranibhaṃ cakraṃ śaṅkaro viṣṇumabravīt

Translation

ఆ చక్రాన్ని దేవదేవునికి ఇచ్చి—సర్వభూతాలకు భయాన్ని కలిగించేదిగా, కాలచక్రసమానంగా—శంకరుడు విష్ణువుతో పలికెను।

Speakers

• Narrator introduces ensuing speech: Śaṅkara (Śiva) addresses Viṣṇu.

Primary Deities

• Shiva
• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Time (kāla) symbolism
• Divine sovereignty and protection
• Weapon as cosmic principle
• Shaiva–Vaishnava concord

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why compare the discus to the “wheel of Time” (kālacakra)?

The simile frames Sudarśana as inexorable and all-subduing like Time itself—unstoppable, impartial, and cosmic in scope—thereby legitimizing its role in restoring order against demonic forces.

How can Viṣṇu be called “deva-deva” while Śiva is giving him a boon?

Purāṇic diction often uses superlative epithets devotionally within a scene without denying the other deity’s greatness. Here it functions to honor Viṣṇu’s cosmic office while simultaneously portraying Śiva as the gracious bestower—supporting a non-competitive theology.

What does “sarvabhūtabhayapradam” mean ethically—does it endorse terror?

It is ‘fear-giving’ specifically in the sense of being dreadful to adharmic beings and hostile forces. In Purāṇic ethics, such fear is protective: it deters violence and safeguards the worlds and the righteous.