Shloka 12
Adhyāya 352: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Saṃvāda — Uñchavrata-niścaya
Dialogue and the Resolve to Practice Uñchavrata
आकाशेन महायोगी पुरा त्रिनयनः प्रभु: । ततः: खान्निपपाताशु धरणीधरमूर्थनि
ākāśena mahāyogī purā tri-nayanaḥ prabhuḥ | tataḥ khān nipapātāśu dharaṇī-dhara-mūrdhani ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：往昔之时，主宰——湿婆，大瑜伽行者，三目之尊——行于长空；继而自天际迅疾下降，落于山巅，仿佛降在承载大地者的“头顶”。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights Śiva as a ‘mahāyogin’—one whose yogic mastery transcends ordinary limits. Ethically, it frames divine power as disciplined sovereignty (prabhutva) rather than mere force, preparing the listener to treat the ensuing account with reverence and attentiveness.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Śiva, the three-eyed Lord, travels through the sky and then swiftly descends to land on a mountain summit (the ‘head’ of the earth-bearer). It is a scene-setting moment introducing Śiva’s arrival at a specific sacred location.