Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 50

अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)

Devanagari script

रात्यहः:श्रोत्रनयन: पक्षमासशिरो भुज: । ऋतुवीर्यस्तपोधैर्यो हृब्दगुह्दोौरुपादवान्‌

Transliteration

rātryahaḥ śrotranayane pakṣamāsaśiro bhujaḥ | ṛtuvīryas tapodhairyo hṛd-guhyendorupādavān ||

Translation

风神说道：“黑夜与白昼是他的耳与目；半月与一月是他的首与臂。四时为其精力；苦行（tapas）为其坚忍；而一年则构成他的隐秘之处、股与足。”

Word by Word

• रात्र्यहःश्रोत्रनयनः: whose ears and eyes are night and day
• रात्र्यहःश्रोत्रनयनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रात्रि + अहः + श्रोत्र + नयन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पक्षमासशिरोभुजः: whose head and arms are the fortnight and the month
• पक्षमासशिरोभुजः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्ष + मास + शिरस् + भुज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋतुवीर्यः: whose vigor is the seasons
• ऋतुवीर्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋतु + वीर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपोधैर्यः: whose endurance is austerity
• तपोधैर्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + धैर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ह्रदगुह्योर्वुपादवान्: having lakes as the (secret parts), thighs and feet (i.e., with these as his limbs)
• ह्रदगुह्योर्वुपादवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ह्रद + गुह्य + ऊरु + पाद + वत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Wind-god)
• Night
• Day
• Fortnight (Pakṣa)
• Month (Māsa)
• Seasons (Ṛtu)
• Austerity (Tapas)
• Year (Varṣa/Vatsara)
• Moon (Indu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that Time (and the cosmic order it represents) pervades all experience—seeing and hearing through day and night, moving through months and seasons. Since time is unavoidable and all beings are subject to it, one should cultivate tapas (disciplined effort) and dhairya (steadfastness) and live in harmony with dharma rather than being driven by impatience or desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is describing a cosmic, personified form in which temporal divisions—night/day, fortnight/month, seasons, and the year—become bodily limbs. This is a didactic depiction meant to impress upon the listener the grandeur and inevitability of time’s governance over life and conduct.