Bāṇāsura’s Virāṭsvarūpa Stotra

The Virāṭsvarūpa Stotra is the hymn Bāṇāsura offered to Bhagavān Śiva after his war with Bhagavān Kṛshṇa. It praises Bhagavān Śiva as the Virāṭpurusha, the cosmic person whose body is the whole universe. It is found in the Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapter 56. Bāṇāsura sang it during his second tāṇḍava nṛtya (the fierce dance), which he danced before Bhagavān Śiva with his own blood as the offering.

The setting

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa’s forces destroyed Bāṇāsura’s army. The Sudarśana Cakra cut off nine hundred and ninety-six of his thousand arms and left him only four. Then Bhagavān Kṛshṇa and Ushā with Aniruddha left for Dvārakā. Bāṇāsura was left humbled. His thousand arms were gone and his pride was broken. This was the fulfilment of the śāpa (a curse) that Bhagavān Śiva had given him.

Nandī gave Bāṇāsura wise counsel. Following it, Bāṇāsura danced a second tāṇḍava nṛtya before Bhagavān Śiva. This time he shed his own blood as he danced. He had first won Bhagavān Śiva’s favour with a tāṇḍava. Now he repeated it in its most intense form. Every movement of his four remaining arms came with an offering of blood. This was the highest self-surrender through the arts of devotion.

Bhagavān Śiva was deeply moved. He gave Bāṇāsura a series of varas (boons).

  • the rank of gaṇādhyaksha (chief of the gaṇas)
  • healing
  • freedom from rebirth as a rākshasa
  • lasting devotion to Bhagavān Śiva
  • friendship with all devotees of Bhagavān Śiva

In answer, Bāṇāsura offered the Virāṭsvarūpa Stotra.

The stotra

The stotra sets the whole universe in the divine body of Bhagavān Śiva. It is the virāṭ vision, the vision of the cosmic form. Bāṇāsura, the devotee, sees Bhagavān Śiva as the entire universe and says so in words. These are the correspondences it gives.

  • Head: the firmament, the sky at its highest level
  • Ears: the ten directions
  • Eyes: Sūrya and Candra (the sun and the moon)
  • Breath: Vāyu, the winds
  • Veins: the rivers of the earth
  • Waist-band: Śesha-nāga, the great serpent who bears creation
  • Bones: the mountains
  • Belly: the ocean
  • Tongue: Agni, fire
  • Four faces: the four Vedas
  • Mouth: yajña (the fire ritual)
  • Body hair: all the creatures of the earth

Sources

  • Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Yuddha Khaṇḍa, Chapter 56