Shloka 94

Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

एतन्मे संशयं देव मुनिधर्मकृतं विभो । सर्वरधर्मार्थतत्त्वज्ञ देवदेव वदस्व मे । निखिलेन मया पृष्टं महादेव यथातथम्‌

Transliteration

etan me saṁśayaṁ deva munidharmakṛtaṁ vibho | sarvadharmārthatattvajña devadeva vadasva me | nikhilena mayā pṛṣṭaṁ mahādeva yathātatham ||

Translation

Muôn tâu Thượng Đế, điều nghi vấn của con liên quan đến pháp hạnh mà các hiền sĩ thực hành. Hỡi Đấng bao trùm khắp, hỡi Thần của các thần, bậc thấu rõ chân nghĩa và mục đích của mọi hình thái chánh pháp—xin hãy nói cho con. Lạy Mahādeva, con đã thưa hỏi trọn vẹn; vậy xin Ngài giảng giải đầy đủ và đúng như thật.

Word by Word

• {'etat': 'this', 'me': 'of me / my', 'saṁśayam': 'doubt, uncertainty', 'deva': 'O god, O lord', 'muni-dharma': 'the dharma (rule of life, discipline) of sages/ascetics', 'kṛtam': 'made, formed, arising (here: ‘arisen/occasioned’)', 'vibho': 'O mighty one

• O all-pervading lord', 'sarva': 'all', 'dharma': 'righteous duty

• right conduct', 'artha': 'purpose

• also worldly good', 'tattva-jña': 'knower of the truth/essence', 'devadeva': 'God of gods

• supreme deity', 'vadasva': 'speak, tell (imperative)', 'nikhilena': 'entirely, in full', 'mayā': 'by me', 'pṛṣṭam': 'asked, inquired', 'mahādeva': 'the Great God (Śiva)', 'yathātatham': 'as it truly is

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Devadeva (supreme deity, epithet of Śiva)
• Muni (sages/ascetics, as a class)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma as something with an inner ‘tattva’ (essence) and ‘artha’ (purpose) that must be understood from an authoritative, truth-knowing source. It models ethical inquiry: when confused about right conduct—especially the specialized discipline of sages—one should ask clearly and seek a complete, accurate explanation rather than partial or convenient answers.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses Mahādeva (Śiva) with reverence, stating that a doubt has arisen regarding the dharma of sages (muni-dharma). He appeals to Śiva as the knower of the essence of all dharmas and requests a full, precise response to the questions he has posed.