Shloka 21

Śiva-stavarāja: Upamanyu’s Preface and Initiation of the Śarva-Nāma Enumeration

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

इदं ब्रह्मा पुरा कुत्वा सर्वतलोकपितामह: । सर्वस्तवानां राजत्वे दिव्यानां समकल्पयत्‌

Transliteration

idaṁ brahmā purā kṛtvā sarvalokapitāmahaḥ | sarvastavānāṁ rājatve divyānāṁ samakalpayat ||

Translation

Vāyu nói: “Thuở xưa, Brahmā—đấng Tổ phụ của muôn cõi—đã soạn bài tán tụng này và tôn lập nó làm ‘vua’ giữa mọi thánh tụng (stotra) của chư thiên. Vì chỉ cần ghi nhớ, dù ngay trong giờ phút lâm chung, cũng dẫn con người đến mục đích tối thượng, nên bản thánh tụng ngàn danh này vô cùng thanh tịnh, cát tường, tăng trưởng trí tuệ và lợi ích trọn vẹn.”

Word by Word

• इदम्: this (hymn/thing)
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• कृत्वा: having made/created
• कृत्वा: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• सर्वत्: everywhere; in all respects
• सर्वत्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धित-प्रातिपदिक)

• लोक: of the worlds
• लोक: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पितामहः: the grandsire (creator)
• पितामहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्व: of all
• सर्व: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• स्तवानाम्: of hymns/praises
• स्तवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• राजत्वे: in the status of kingship; as king
• राजत्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दिव्यानाम्: of divine (ones/things)
• दिव्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सम्: together; completely (prefix)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग)

• अकल्पयत्: he appointed/established
• अकल्पयत्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप्/कल्प् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• ब्रह्मा (Brahmā)
• महादेव/ईश्वर (Mahādeva/Īśvara, i.e., Śiva) (contextual in the accompanying prose)
• सहस्रनामस्तोत्र (Sahasranāma-stotra) (contextual in the accompanying prose)
• स्तवराज (Stavarāja) (contextual in the accompanying prose)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred praise (stotra) is presented as a potent ethical-spiritual practice: a hymn established by Brahmā as supreme among divine stotras is said to be purifying and auspicious, and even its remembrance at the end of life is linked with attaining the highest good (parama-gati).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu speaks about the origin and status of a celebrated thousand-named hymn: Brahmā composed it in ancient times and installed it as the foremost (‘king’) among divine hymns; the surrounding context identifies it as a widely revered stotra connected with Mahādeva (Śiva) and known as ‘Stavarāja’.