TEXT 23
रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि
वित्तेशो यक्षरक्षसाम् ।
वसूनां पावकश्चास्मि
मेरुः शिखरिणाम् अहम् ॥ २३ ॥
rudrāṇāṁ śaṅkaraś cāsmi
vitteśo yakṣa-rakṣasām
vasūnāṁ pāvakaś cāsmi
meruḥ śikhariṇām aham
SYNONYMS
rudrāṇām—of all the Rudras; śaṅkaraḥ—Lord Śiva; ca—also; asmi—I am; vitta-īśaḥ—the lord of the treasury of the demigods; yakṣa-rakṣasām—of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas; vasūnām—of the Vasus; pāvakaḥ—fire; ca—also; asmi—I am; meruḥ—Meru; śikhariṇām—of all mountains; aham—I am.
TRANSLATION
Of all the Rudras I am Lord Śiva, of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru.
PURPORT
There are eleven Rudras, of whom Śaṅkara, Lord Śiva, is predominant. He is the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in charge of the mode of ignorance in the universe. The leader of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas is Kuvera, the master treasurer of the demigods, and he is a representation of the Supreme Lord. Meru is a mountain famed for its rich natural resources.
