Mahabharata · 1.203.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
कुर्वन्त्या तु तया तत्र मण्डलं तत् प्रदक्षिणम् ॥
इन्द्रः स्थाणुश् च भगवान् धैर्येण प्रत्यवस्थितौ ॥
द्रष्टुकामस्य चात्यर्थं गतायाः पार्श्वतस् तदा ॥
अन्यद् अञ्चितपक्ष्मान्तं दक्षिणं निःसृतं मुखम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kurvantyā tu tayā tatra maṇḍalaṃ tat pradakṣiṇam ||
indraḥ sthāṇuś ca bhagavān dhairyeṇa pratyavasthitau ||
draṣṭukāmasya cātyarthaṃ gatāyāḥ pārśvatas tadā ||
anyad añcitapakṣmāntaṃ dakṣiṇaṃ niḥsṛtaṃ mukham ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कुर्वन्त्याः तु तया तत्र मण्डलं तत् प्रदक्षिणम्kurvantyāḥ tu tayā tatra maṇḍalaṃ tat pradakṣiṇamwhen she was making there that circumambulation to the right,
इन्द्रः स्थाणुः च भगवान् धैर्येण प्रत्यवस्थितौindraḥ sthāṇuḥ ca bhagavān dhairyeṇa pratyavasthitauIndra and the lord Sthanu [Shiva] held themselves steady with fortitude;
द्रष्टुकामस्य च अत्यर्थं गतायाः पार्श्वतः तदाdraṣṭukāmasya ca atyarthaṃ gatāyāḥ pārśvataḥ tadābut when she passed by the side of [Shiva], who longed exceedingly to see her,
अन्यत् अञ्चितपक्ष्मान्तं दक्षिणं निःसृतं मुखम्anyat añcitapakṣmāntaṃ dakṣiṇaṃ niḥsṛtaṃ mukhamanother face, with curved lashes, a southern one, emerged [from him];
कुर्वन्त्याkurvantyāoriginal form "kurvantyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थाणुश्sthāṇuśoriginal form "sthāṇuś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चात्यर्थंcātyarthaṃoriginal form "cātyarthaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पार्श्वतस्pārśvatasoriginal form "pārśvatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्यद्anyadoriginal form "anyad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"When she was making there that circumambulation to the right, Indra and the lord Sthanu held themselves steady with fortitude; but when she passed by the side of Shiva, who longed exceedingly to see her, another face, with curved lashes, a southern one, emerged from him."
Version
6be16b9633ef · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the tradition explains Shiva's four-facedness through his longing to behold beauty. It is significant that even these lords, "holding themselves steady," are not wholly free from attraction: such is the power of beauty over the eye. Here is shown a parable of the strength of beauty, which is hard to withstand. This is a figurative account of how Mahadeva became four-faced; and it warns that passion overpowers even the exalted.