वासुदेव उवाच युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो महाभाग्यं महात्मनः। रुद्राय बहुरूपाय बहुनाम्ने निबोध मे॥
Vasudeva said O mighiyarmed Yudhishthira, listen to me as I recite to you the many names of Rudra as also the high blessedness of that great one.
वदन्त्यग्निं महादेवं तथा स्थाणुं महेश्वरम्। एकाक्षं त्र्यम्बकं चैव विश्वरूपं शिवं तथा॥
The Rishis describe Mahadeva as Agni, and Sthanu, and Maheshvara; as oneeyed, and threeeyed, of universal form, and Shiva or highly auspicious.
द्वे तनू तस्य देवस्य वेदज्ञा ब्राह्मणा विदुः। घोरामन्यां शिवामन्यां ते तनू बहुधा पुनः॥
Brahmanas knowing the Vedas say that god has two forins. (One of these is terrible, and the other mild and auspicious. Those two forms, again, arc subdivided into many forms.
उग्रा घोरा तनुर्यास्य सोऽग्निर्विद्युत् स भास्करः। शिवा सौम्या च या त्वस्य धर्मस्त्वापोऽथ चन्द्रमा:।।४
That form which is fierce and terrible is considered as identical with Agni and Lightning and the Sun. That other form which is mild and auspicious is identical with Virtue and Water and the Moon.
आत्मनोऽर्धं तु तस्याग्निः सोमोऽध पुनरुच्यते। ब्रह्मचर्यं चरत्येका शिवा चास्य तनुस्तथा॥
Then, again, it is said that half his body is fire and half is the moon. That form of his which is mild and auspicious, is said to be engaged in the practice of the vow of celibacy.
यास्य घोरतमा मूर्तिर्जगत् संहरते तथा। ईश्वरत्वान्महत्त्वाच्च महेश्वर इति स्मृतः॥
That other form of his which is highly terrible performs all the destructive operations in the universe. Because he is great and the Supreme Lord of all (Ishvara), therefore he is called Maheshivara.
यन्निर्दहति यत्तीक्ष्णो यदुनो यत् प्रतापवान्। मांसशोणितमज्जादो यत् ततो रुद्र उच्यते॥
And because he burns and oppresses, is keen and fierce, and gifted with great energy, and is engaged in cating flesh and blood and marrow, that he is called Rudra.
देवानां सुमहान् यच्च यच्चास्य विषयो महान्। यच्च विश्वं महत् पाति महादेवस्ततः स्मृतः॥
Because he is the foremost of all the celestials, and because his dominion and acquisitions are very extensive, and because he protects the vast universe, therefore is called Mahadeva.
धूम्ररूपं च यत्तस्य धूर्जटीत्यत उच्यते। समेधयति यन्नित्यं सर्वान् वै सर्वकर्मभिः॥ मनुष्याशिवमन्विच्छंस्तस्मादेष शिवः स्मृतः। दहत्यूज़ स्थितो यच्च प्राणान् नृणां स्थिरश्च यत्।।१०
Because he is of the form or colour of smoke, therefore he is called Dhurjjali. Because by all his deeds he performs sacrifices for all and seeks the wellbeing of every creature, therefore he is called Shiva or the auspicious one. Living in the sky, he burns the lives of all creatures and is, besides, fixed in a particular path from which he does not deviate.
स्थिरलिङ्गश्च यन्नित्यं तस्मात् स्थाणुरिति स्मृतः। यदस्य बहुधा रूपं भूतं भव्यं भवत्तथा॥
His emblem, again, is fixed and immovable for all time. He is, for these reasons, called Sthanu. He is also of multiform aspect. He is present, past, and future.
स्थावरं जङ्गमं चैव बहुरूपस्ततः स्मृतः। विश्वे देवाश्च यत्तस्मिन् विश्वरूपस्ततः स्मृतः॥
He is mobile and immobilc. For this he is called Vahurupa. Thc celestials called Vishvedevas live in his body. Ile is, for this, called Vishvarupa having an universal form.
सहस्राक्षोऽयुताक्षो वा सर्वतोऽक्षिमयोऽपि वा। चक्षुषः प्रभवेत् तेजो नास्त्यन्तोऽथास्य चक्षुपाम्॥
He has a thousand eyes; or, he has numberless cyes; or, he has cycs on all sides and on every part of his body. His cncrgy comes out through his cyes. There is no end of his eyes.
सर्वथा यत्पशून् पाति तैश्च यद् रमते सह। तेषामधिपतिर्यच्च तस्मात् पशुपतिः स्मृतः॥
Because he always nourishes all crcatures and sports also with them, and because he is their lord or master, therefore is he called Pashupati (the lord of all creatures).
नित्येन ब्रह्मचर्येण लिङ्गमस्य यदा स्थितम्। महयत्यस्य लोकश्च प्रिय ह्येतन्महात्मनः॥
Because his emblem always observes the of Brahmacharya, all the worlds, therefore, adore it. This act of worship is said to please him highly.
विग्रहं पूजयेद् यो वै लिङ्गं वापि महात्मनः। लिङ्गं पूजयिता नित्यं महतीं श्रियमश्नुते॥
If there is one who adorcs him by creating his image, and another who adores his emblem, the latter it is who wins great prosperity for ever. VOW
ऋषयश्चापि देवाश्च गन्धर्वाप्सरसस्तथा। लिङ्गमेवार्चयन्ति स्म यत् तदूर्ध्वं समास्थितम्॥
The Rishis, the celestials, the Gandharvas, and the Apsaras, adore that emblem of his which is every erect and upraised.
पूज्यमाने ततस्तस्मिन् मोदते स महेश्वरः। सुखं ददाति प्रीतात्मा भक्तानां भक्तवत्सलः॥
If his emblem is adored, Maheshvara becomes highly pleased with the adorer. Affectionate towards his devotees, he confers happiness upon them with a chcerful soui.
एप एव श्मशानेषु देवो वसति निर्दहन्। यजन्ते ते जनास्तत्र वीरस्थाननिषेविणः॥
This great god loves to live in crematoria and there he burns and consumes all dead bodies. Those persons who celebrate sacrifices on such grounds attain at the end to the regions of heroes.
विषयस्थः शरीरेषु स मृत्युः प्राणिनामिह। स च वायुः शरीरेषु प्राणापानशरीरिणाम्॥
Engaged in his proper duty, he it is who is considered as the Death who live in the bodies of all creatures. He is, again, those vital airs called Prana and Apana, in the bodies of all embodied creatures.
तस्य घोराणि रूपाणि दीप्तानि च बहूनि च। लोके यान्यस्य पूज्यन्ते विप्रास्तानि विदुर्बुधाः॥
He has many burning and terrible forms. All those forms are adored in the world and are known to Brahmanas gifted with knowledge.
नामधेयानि देवेषु वहून्यस्य यथार्थवत्। निरुच्यन्ते महत्त्वाच्च विभुत्वात् कर्मभिस्तथा॥
Amongst the gods he has many significant names. Indeed, the meanings of those names are derived from either his greatness or vastness, or his feats, or his conduct.
वेदे चास्य विदुर्विप्राः शतरुद्रीयमुत्तमम्। व्यासेनोक्तं च यच्चापि उपस्थानं महात्मनः॥
The Brahmanas always recite the excellent ShataRudriya in his honour, thai is in the Vedas as also that which has been composed by Vyasa.
प्रदाता सर्वलोकानां विश्वं चाप्युच्यते महत्। ज्येष्ठभूतं वदन्त्येनं ब्राह्मणा ऋषयोऽपरे॥
These provide all worlds with the desired things. This huge universe has been told as their own appearance. Indeed, the Brahmanas and Rishis call him the eldest of all beings.
प्रथमो ह्येष देवानां मुखादग्निमजीजनत्। ग्रहैर्बहुविधैः प्राणान् संरुद्धानुत्सृजत्यपि॥
He is the first of all the celestials, and it was from his mouth that he created Agni. That great deity, ever willing to grant protection to all, never forsakes his suppliants.
विमुञ्चति न पुण्यात्मा शरण्यः शरणागतान्। आयुरारोग्यमैश्वर्यं वित्तं कामांश्च पुष्कलान्।॥ स ददाति मनुष्येभ्यः स एवाक्षिपते पुनः। शक्रादिषु च देवेषु तस्यैश्वर्यमिहोच्यते॥
He would much rather give up his own life and suffer all possible afflictions himself. Long life, health and freedom from disease, affluence, wealth, various kinds of pleasures and enjoyinents, are conferred by him, and it is he also who snatches them away. The lordship and affluence that one sees in Shakra and the Other celestials are, indeed, his.
स एव व्यापृतो नित्यं त्रैलोक्यस्य शुभाशुभे। ऐश्वर्याच्चैव कामानामीश्वरः पुनरुच्यते॥
It is he who is always engaged in all that is good and evil in the three worlds. On account of his fullest control over all objects of enjoyment he is called Ishvara.
महेश्वरश्च लोकानां महतामीश्वरच सः। बहुभिर्विविधै रूपैर्विश्वं व्याप्तमिदं जगत्। तस्य देवस्य यद् वक्त्रं समुद्रे वडवामुखम्॥
Because he is the master of the vast universe, therefore he is called Maheshvara. The whole universe is pervaded by him in various forms. His mouth roars and burns the waters of the sea in the form of the huge mare's head.