Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 101

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

Anuśāsana-parva 17

Devanagari script

बन्धनो बन्धकर्ता च सुबन्धनविमोचन: । सयज्ञारि: सकामारिर्महादंष्टी महायुध:

Transliteration

bandhano bandhakartā ca subandhanavimocanaḥ | sayajñāriḥ sakāmārir mahādaṃṣṭī mahāyudhaḥ ||

Translation

风神（Vāyu-deva）说道：“祂既是束缚本身，也是束缚的造作者；然而祂又能从最坚固的枷锁中解脱众生。祂与反对达克沙（Dakṣa）祭祀者同立，也与战胜欲望者同立。祂是巨牙者，亦是执持强大神兵者。”

Word by Word

• बन्धनः: the binder; bondage (as an epithet)
• बन्धनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बन्धकर्ता: maker/author of bondage
• बन्धकर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्ध-कर्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• सुबन्धनविमोचनः: liberator from strong bondage
• सुबन्धनविमोचनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-बन्धन-विमोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सयज्ञारिः: one associated with the enemy of the sacrifice (yajña)
• सयज्ञारिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-यज्ञ-अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सकामारिः: one associated with the foe of Kāma (desire)
• सकामारिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-काम-अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महादंष्टी: great-fanged; having huge tusks
• महादंष्टी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-दंष्ट्रिन्/दंष्टी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महायुधः: great-weaponed; bearing mighty weapons
• महायुधः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-आयुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Dakṣa-yajña (implied by ‘yajña’ and its opponents)
• Māyā (implied by the gloss on subandhanavimocanaḥ)
• Narasiṃha (implied by the gloss on mahādaṃṣṭī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a deliberate paradox: the Supreme can be experienced as the force that binds beings into saṃsāra (through attachment and cosmic order) and also as the grace that frees them from even the strongest bonds. Ethically, it points to inner conquest of desire and reliance on divine liberation rather than mere external ritual.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is reciting a litany of divine epithets, praising the deity’s complex roles—creator of worldly entanglement, yet savior from it; aligned with those who opposed the Dakṣa sacrifice; and supportive of yogins who have overcome kāma—depicting both fierce and protective aspects (great fangs, mighty weapons).