Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधजितॉल्लोकानाप्रोति त्रिदिवालये

Transliteration

aśvamedhajitān lokān āpnoti tridivālaye | yo rājā duḥkhī manuṣyānāṃ hastasya sahāraṃ dadāti sa iha ca paraloke ca sammānito bhavati | gāṃś ca brāhmaṇāṃś ca saṅkaṭāt trātuṃ yaḥ parākramaṃ darśayitvā saṅgrāme mṛtyuṃ prāpnoti sa svarge ’śvamedhayajñair jitān lokān adhitiṣṭhati ||

Translation

大自在天宣示：那位成为受苦之人“扶持之手”的国王，今世与来世皆受尊崇。又有国王为救牛与婆罗门于危难，奋勇而战，战死沙场者，得生天界，并获得据说由马祭（Aśvamedha）所赢得诸境界之主权——由此将护民而自我牺牲的王道，与至高的祭祀功德等同起来。

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधजितान्: won by the Aśvamedha (sacrifices)
• अश्वमेधजितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वमेधजित्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आप्नोति: attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• त्रिदिवालये: in the abode of heaven
• त्रिदिवालये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदिवालय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Maheśvara (Śiva)
• king (rājā)
• suffering people (duḥkhī manuṣyāḥ)
• cows (gāvaḥ)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• heaven (svarga/tridiva)
• Aśvamedha-yajña

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True royal dharma is protective compassion: supporting the distressed and risking even one’s life to safeguard cows and Brahmins yields honor here and heavenly reward beyond, comparable to the highest royal sacrifices.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maheśvara is instructing about the fruits of righteous conduct: he praises the king who aids suffering subjects and extols the warrior who dies defending vulnerable, dharmically significant groups, stating that such death grants exalted heavenly status like that gained through Ashvamedha rites.