Shloka 77

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

दक्षयज्ञविनाशाय हरिरुद्राय वै नमः । ललाटाक्षाय शर्वाय मीढुषे शूलपाणये,दक्षयज्ञका विनाश करनेवाले हरिहररूप आप भगवान्‌को नमस्कार है। आपके ललाटमें तृतीय नेत्र शोभा पाता है। आप जगत्‌का संहारक होनेके कारण शर्व कहलाते हैं। भक्तोंकी अभीष्ट कामनाओंकी वर्षा करनेके कारण आपका नाम मीढ्वान्‌ (वर्षणशील) है। अपने हाथमें त्रिशूल धारण करनेवाले आपको नमस्कार है

Transliteration

dakṣayajñavināśāya harirudrāya vai namaḥ | lalāṭākṣāya śarvāya mīḍhuṣe śūlapāṇaye ||

Translation

敬礼于哈利—鲁陀罗，毁灭达克沙祭祀者。敬礼于额上第三眼辉耀之主；敬礼于舍尔瓦，消融诸世界者；敬礼于弥度沙，向信徒所愿降下恩赐如雨者；敬礼于执三叉戟者。

Word by Word

दक्षयज्ञविनाशायto (him who is) for the destruction of Dakṣa’s sacrifice

हरिरुद्रायto Hari-and-Rudra (the Harihara form)

वैindeed / surely

नमःsalutation

ललाटाक्षायto the one whose eye is on the forehead (three-eyed)

शर्वायto Śarva (Śiva)

मीढुषेto the showerer / bestower (of boons)

शूलपाणयेto the trident-handed one

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Dakṣa

Hari-Rudra (unified form of Viṣṇu and Śiva)

Śarva (Śiva)

Mīḍhuṣa/Mīḍhvān (epithet of Śiva)

Śūla (trident)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches reverence for divine authority that upholds dharma: ritual power without humility can be corrected, while sincere devotion is rewarded. By praising Śiva as both destroyer (Śarva) and benefactor (Mīḍhuṣa), Arjuna highlights that divine action can be simultaneously punitive toward arrogance and compassionate toward devotees.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna offers a formal salutation (stuti) to Śiva, invoking well-known epithets and the episode of Dakṣa’s sacrifice to acknowledge Śiva’s supremacy and his role as both cosmic dissolver and boon-giver. The praise situates Arjuna in a posture of devotion and seeking divine favor/aid.