Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 91

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

Anuśāsana-parva 17

गण्डली मेरुधामा च देवाधिपतिरेव च । अथर्वशीर्ष: सामास्य ऋक्‍्सहस्रामितेक्षण:

gaṇḍalī merudhāmā ca devādhipatir eva ca | atharvaśīrṣaḥ sāmāsya ṛk-sahasrāmitekṣaṇaḥ ||

风神婆由说道:“他名为‘甘达利’——栖居于群山洞窟之中;又名‘住于须弥者’(Merudhāmā)——以须弥山为居所;实为诸天之主。阿闼婆吠陀为其首,娑摩吠陀为其口,而《梨俱吠陀》千百赞歌则为其无量之眼。”

गण्डलीGandali (one who dwells hidden in mountain-caves)
गण्डली:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगण्डलिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मेरुधामाhe whose abode is Meru
मेरुधामा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमेरुधामन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
देवाधिपतिःlord of the gods
देवाधिपतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदेवाधिपति
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अथर्वशीर्षःhe whose head is the Atharvaveda
अथर्वशीर्षः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअथर्वशीर्ष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सामास्यःhe whose mouth/face is the Sāmaveda
सामास्यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसामास्य
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ऋक्सहस्रामितेक्षणःhe whose eyes are thousands of ṛks (Rigvedic verses)
ऋक्सहस्रामितेक्षणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootऋक्सहस्रामितेक्षण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

वायुदेव उवाच

V
Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
M
Meru (Mount Meru)
D
Devas (gods)
A
Atharvaveda
S
Sāmaveda
Ṛgveda (ṛc-hymns)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches a devotional and theological vision in which the supreme deity is identified with the Vedas themselves—head, mouth, and eyes—implying that sacred knowledge and divine sovereignty are inseparable, and that reverence for the Vedas is a form of reverence for the divine.

Vāyu is describing and praising a supreme divine figure through a chain of epithets (cave-dweller, resident of Meru, lord of the gods) and then through a cosmic-Vedic imagery where the deity’s body is mapped onto the three Vedas and the multitude of Ṛgvedic hymns.