Shloka 20

Rudra’s Cosmic Dance and the Recognition of Rudra–Nārāyaṇa Unity (Īśvara-gītā Continuation)

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वाथ रुद्रं जगदीशितारं तं पद्मनाभाश्रितवामभागम् / ध्यात्वा हृदिस्थं प्रणिपत्य मूर्ध्ना बद्ध्वाञ्जलिं स्वेषु शिरःसु भूयः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvātha rudraṃ jagadīśitāraṃ taṃ padmanābhāśritavāmabhāgam / dhyātvā hṛdisthaṃ praṇipatya mūrdhnā baddhvāñjaliṃ sveṣu śiraḥsu bhūyaḥ

Translation

Rồi họ chiêm ngưỡng Rudra—Đấng Tể chủ cai quản các thế giới—với bên trái được Padmanābha (Viṣṇu) nương tựa. Họ quán niệm Ngài như đang ngự trong tim, cúi đầu đảnh lễ; rồi lại chắp tay (añjali) đặt lên đỉnh đầu mình để tỏ lòng tôn kính.

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ktvā)

• atha: then
• atha: Anukrama (अनुक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अनन्तरार्थक/क्रमसूचक)

• rudram: Rudra
• rudram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana

• jagad-īśitāram: the ruler of the world
• jagad-īśitāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat-īśitṛ (प्रातिपदिक; जगत् + ईशितृ)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana; apposition to ‘rudram’

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana

• padmanābha-āśrita-vāma-bhāgam: whose left side is occupied by Padmanābha (Viṣṇu)
• padmanābha-āśrita-vāma-bhāgam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padma-nābha-āśrita-vāma-bhāga (प्रातिपदिक; पद्म + नाभ + आश्रित + वाम + भाग)
• Form: ‘āśrita’ = past participle (क्त/ktá) from √śri (श्रि, to resort to); Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of ‘tam/rudram’

• dhyātvā: having meditated upon
• dhyātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dhyai (ध्यै धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ktvā)

• hṛdi-stham: situated in the heart
• hṛdi-stham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛd-stha (प्रातिपदिक; हृदि + स्थ)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of ‘tam’

• praṇipatya: having bowed down
• praṇipatya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pra-√nam (नम् धातु, to bow)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/lyap)

• mūrdhnā: with the head
• mūrdhnā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instr/3rd), Ekavacana

• baddhvā: having joined/formed
• baddhvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √bandh (बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ktvā)

• añjalim: añjali (folded hands gesture)
• añjalim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: añjali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana

• sveṣu: on their own
• sveṣu: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun used adjectivally; Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Saptamī (Loc/7th), Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of ‘śiraḥsu’

• śiraḥsu: on (their) heads
• śiraḥsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Saptamī (Loc/7th), Bahuvacana

• bhūyaḥ: again, once more
• bhūyaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (पुनरर्थक अव्यय)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) describing the sages’/devotees’ response to the vision of Rudra-Nārāyaṇa

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Padmanabha (Vishnu)
• Jagadishvara (Lord of the universe)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By directing meditation to Rudra as “hṛdistha”—present within the heart—the verse points to Īśvara’s immanence: the divine is not only cosmic ruler but also inwardly accessible as the indwelling reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes dhyāna (contemplation of the deity within the heart) combined with bhakti-aṅgas: praṇipāta (bowing) and añjali (joined palms), a devotional-meditative discipline aligned with Purāṇic and Pāśupata-oriented reverence.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Rudra is seen with Padmanābha abiding on his left side, presenting a unified divinity—Śiva and Viṣṇu as mutually indwelling and non-opposed—supporting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis.