Mahabharata · 1.203.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं चतुर्मुखः स्थाणुर् महादेवो ऽभवत् पुरा ॥
तथा सहस्रनेत्रश् च बभूव बलसूदनः ॥
तथा देवनिकायानाम् ऋषीणां चैव सर्वशः ॥
मुखान्य् अभिप्रवर्तन्ते येन याति तिलोत्तमा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ caturmukhaḥ sthāṇur mahādevo 'bhavat purā ||
tathā sahasranetraś ca babhūva balasūdanaḥ ||
tathā devanikāyānām ṛṣīṇāṃ caiva sarvaśaḥ ||
mukhāny abhipravartante yena yāti tilottamā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवं चतुर्मुखः स्थाणुः महादेवः अभवत् पुराevaṃ caturmukhaḥ sthāṇuḥ mahādevaḥ abhavat purāthus Sthanu, the great god, became four-faced of old;
तथा सहस्रनेत्रः च बभूव बलसूदनःtathā sahasranetraḥ ca babhūva balasūdanaḥand likewise the slayer of Bala [Indra] became thousand-eyed;
तथा देवनिकायानाम् ऋषीणां च एव सर्वशःtathā devanikāyānām ṛṣīṇāṃ ca eva sarvaśaḥso too the faces of the hosts of gods and sages, on every side,
मुखानि अभिप्रवर्तन्ते येन याति तिलोत्तमाmukhāni abhipravartante yena yāti tilottamāturn wherever Tilottama goes;
स्थाणुर्sthāṇuroriginal form "sthāṇur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महादेवोmahādevooriginal form "mahādevo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभवत्'bhavatoriginal form "'bhavat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहस्रनेत्रश्sahasranetraśoriginal form "sahasranetraś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुखान्य्mukhānyoriginal form "mukhāny", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Thus Sthanu, the great god, became four-faced of old; and likewise the slayer of Bala became thousand-eyed; so too the faces of the hosts of gods and sages, on every side, turn wherever Tilottama goes."
Version
15ef0b59fdbc · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here nearly every gaze of the assembly is drawn after beauty. It is significant that both gods and sages turn their faces after Tilottama: few are free from the power of loveliness. Here it is shown how few possess full mastery over their senses. Thus scripture shows the universal captivation; and all the brighter shines the one who remains unmoved.