bāṇatvaṃ vṛṣabhatvamardhavapuṣā bhāryātvamāryāpateghoṇitvaṃ sakhitā mṛdaṅgavahatā cetyādi rūpaṃ dadhau ;tvatpāde nayanārpaṇaṃ ca kṛtavāṃstvaddehabhāgo hariḥpūjyātpūjyataraḥ sa eva hi na cetko vā tadanyo’dhikaḥ . 82.
ŚLOKA 82 / 100
The many forms of service
About these study notes: English meanings and explanations were generated with AI assistance and have not been independently reviewed by a Sanskrit scholar. Sanskrit text follows the cited source editions.
02 / PHRASE STUDY · PADĀRTHA
A phrase at a time.
Follow the words into meaning. Select a phrase to locate it in the verse above. Read the quarters together for the full sentence.
Sringeri IAST text · source wording and line-break hyphens retained. English glosses follow the connected Sanskrit sense.
Vignanam text · spellings and hyphens retained. English glosses follow the base Sanskrit; variant readings are not separately translated.
| Selected phrase | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
Hari assumed the forms of arrow, bull and a wife sharing half the body. | |
He became a boar, a friend, a bearer of the drum and other forms. | |
He offered an eye at your feet and became part of your body. | |
Through such devotion he is honoured above the honoured; who could surpass him? |
These four study units follow the printed quarters. Sentences and compounds can continue across a line break; read the whole verse for connected meaning. The source wording stays unchanged.
| Selected phrase | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
Hari assumed the forms of arrow, bull and a wife sharing half the body. Key expressions in this quarter: bāṇa — arrow; vṛṣabha — bull; ardhavapus — half the body. | |
He became a boar, a friend, a bearer of the drum and other forms. Key expressions in this quarter: sakhitā — friendship; mṛdaṅga — drum. | |
He offered an eye at your feet and became part of your body. Key expressions in this quarter: nayana — eye; arpaṇa — offering. | |
Through such devotion he is honoured above the honoured; who could surpass him? Key expressions in this quarter: pūjya — worthy of honour. |
Selected words and compound parts are shown in IAST. This is a contextual vocabulary study, not an exhaustive grammatical analysis. The source phrase follows your selected script. Locate highlights that unchanged phrase; learning forms are not substituted into the verse.
| Word / source phrase | Meaning in context |
|---|---|
arrow | |
bull | |
half the body Half-body imagery appears within the sequence of forms assumed by Hari in service. | |
friendship | |
drum | |
eye | |
offering | |
worthy of honour |
03 / SIMPLE MEANING
The many forms of service
Hari assumed the forms of arrow, bull and a wife sharing half the body. He became a boar, a friend, a bearer of the drum and other forms. He offered an eye at your feet and became part of your body. Through such devotion he is honoured above the honoured; who could surpass him?
04 / DETAILED MEANING
How the verse unfolds.
The verse gathers mythic images of Vishnu serving Shiva in many forms. The eye offering makes devotion more intimate than an ordinary gift, while shared embodiment brings closeness to its fullest expression. Read this as the hymn’s celebration of Hari’s devotion, rather than a reason to belittle another tradition.
EDITORIAL EXPLANATION · NOT A TRADITIONAL COMMENTARY
05 / DEEPER CONTEMPLATION
What does willing service reveal about the closeness of the beloved?
Read this verse once more, then sit with the question. Notice the particular image or expression that holds your attention. You do not need to force an answer.
Keep a reflection or question ↓06 / THEMES & TATTVA
Connected themes
Editorial lenses; a verse may invite other readings.
Associated Tattva
A life gathered into practice
Hari serves through many forms and finally through an offering of the eye. The sequence celebrates the willingness to become an instrument of devotion.
Explore this Tattva →07 / PERSONAL REFLECTION
A phrase, a question, a moment of understanding
What does willing service reveal about the closeness of the beloved?
Browser notes stay on this device. Account reflections remain separate unless you explicitly import them.