# विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/vishvarupa

विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) is a Sanskrit word meaning various forms, many-coloured, manifold, various, a particular comet, an epithet of Shiva, an epithet of Vishnu-Krishna. Its 28 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them Adjective: Many-formed, Universal, Name: Specific Objects, Animals, or Concepts (e.g., comets, cow, verses), Name: Son of Tvaṣṭṛ (Triśiras).

- **Etymology:** E. विश्व all, रूप form — E. viśva all, rūpa form
- **SLP1:** `viSvarUpa`  **IAST:** viśvarūpa  **Devanagari:** विश्वरूप
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/vishvarupa/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Adjective: Many-formed, Universal (6 definitions)
- many-coloured  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > विश्व (viśva) — रूप (—rūpa) mf( आ (ā) or ई (ī) )n. many-coloured, variegated, RV.; AV. &c. [ ID=201274 ]
- manifold, various  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > wearing all forms, manifold, various, RV.; AV.; TS. &c. [ ID=201275 ]
- 1. Universal or omnipresent. 2. Vishnu. 3. Agallochum.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विश्व (viśva) रूप (rūpa) (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 789 ] विश्व (viśva) रूप (rūpa) (viśvarūpa) mfn. ( - पः (-paḥ)- पी - पं (-paṃ) (-paḥ-pī-paṃ) ) Taking all forms, existing in all forms, universal, omnipresent. m. ( - पः (-paḥ) ) VIṢṆU. n. ( - पं (-paṃ) ) Agallochum. E. विश्व (viśva) all, and रूप (rūpa) form. [ ID=35967 ]
- 1. Taking all forms, omnipresent. 2. Vishnu. 3. Agallochum.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 707-b ] विश्व - रूप (viśva-rūpa) ( पः - पी - पं ) ((paḥ-pī-paṃ)) a. Taking all forms, omnipresent. m. Vishnu. n. Agallochum. [ ID=35574 ]
- 1. Taking all forms or omnipresent. 2. Vishnu. 3. Agallochum.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विश्व (viśva) रूप (rūpa) (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 674-b ] विश्व (viśva) रूप (rūpa) (viśvarūpa) mfn. ( - पः (-paḥ)- पी - पं (-paṃ) (-paḥ-pī-paṃ) ) Taking all forms, existing in all forms, universal, omnipresent. m. ( - पः (-paḥ) ) VISHṆU. n. ( - पं (-paṃ) ) Agallochum. E. विश्व (viśva) all, रूप (rūpa) form. [ ID=37649 ]
- 1. Many-colored or manifold. 2. An epithet of Vishnu, and the name of a son of Tvashtri, an Asura, and several men.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 510 ] विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) ( f. आ (ā) & विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) ी (viśvarūpī) ) a. many-coloured, multiform, manifold, various. m. E. of Viṣṇu, N. of a son of Tvaṣṭṛ, of an Asura, & of sev. men. [ ID=30325 ]

### Name: Specific Objects, Animals, or Concepts (e.g., comets, cow, verses) (6 definitions)
- a particular comet  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > विश्व (viśva) — रूप (—rūpa) m. N. of partic. comets, VarBṛS. [ ID=201276 ]
- a dappled cow  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3B) [Printed book page 993,3] विश्व (viśva) — रूपा (—rūpā) ( आ (ā) ), f. a dappled cow, RV.; VS.; TBr. [ ID=201282 ]
- particular verses  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of partic. verses ( e.g. Ṛg-veda (Title) v, 81, 2 ), Br.; Lāṭy. [ ID=201283 ]
- the yoked horses of Brihaspati  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pl. the yoked horses of Bṛhas-pati, Naigh. [ ID=201284 ]
- one of the seven tongues of fire  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3B) [Printed book page 993,3] विश्व (viśva) — रूपी (—rūpī) ( ई (ī) ), f. N. of one of the seven tongues of fire, MuṇḍUp. [ ID=201285 ]
- The name of a work  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > विश्व (viśva) — रूप (—rūpa) ( prob. ) n. N. of wk. [ ID=201287 ]

### Name: Son of Tvaṣṭṛ (Triśiras) (4 definitions)
- a son of Tvashtri whose three heads were struck off by Indra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a son of Tvaṣṭṛ (whose three heads were struck off by Indra), RV.; TS.; Br. &c. [ ID=201279 ]
- The son of Tvashtri.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Viśvarūpa 2, son of Tvaṣṭṛ. § 555 (Indravijaya): V, 8, 230 (Tvaṣṭṛ created a three-headed ( triśiras ) son V., whom Indra slew with his thunderbolt; Tvaṣṭṛ then created Vṛtra); 17, 522 ( °vināśena ).—§ 665 (Mokṣadh.): XII, 208, 7584 ( Tvaṣṭuś caivātmajaḥ ).—§ 717 b (Nārāyaṇīya): XII, 343, VII), ††13207 ( Tvāṣṭraḥ purohitaḥ devānāṃ ), ††13208 ( °mātaraṃ ), ††13209 ( Tvāṣṭro V°as Triśirā devānāṃ purohitaḥ ), ††13211, ††13212, ††13213 ( V., the son of Tvaṣṭṛ and an Asura woman, was the purohita of the gods, but afterwards he joined the Asuras and was then slain by Indra with the thunderbolt, cf. § 555).—§ 778 b (Saṃvartta- Maruttīya): XIV, 5, 114 ( °sya nihantā, i.e. Indra). Cf. Triśiras, Tvaṣṭṛputra, Tvāṣṭra. [ ID=11942 ]
- 1. A son of Tvashtri and Rocana. 2. A three-headed sage whose heads were cut off by Indra and transformed into birds.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 3-274 ] Viśvarūpa (I) — a son of Tvaṣṭri and Rocanā (Yaśo- dharā- Br. P. ) adopted by Suragaṇas when their guru Angiras left them. At first he did not agree as Paurodhasa was not a coveted profession. Finally he accepted and initiated Indra into a mantra known as Varma Nārāyaṇāt- makam; with this Indra enjoyed once more the Trailokya- lakṣmī: Father of Pañcajanī. 1 Viśvarūpa had three heads Somapīṭḥa, Surāpīṭḥa, and Annāda. Finding the ācārya giving a part of his sacrificial offerings to Asuras, Indra cut off his heads which became Kapiñjala, Kalavinka and Tittiri birds. His vadha, 2 in the sabhā of Hiraṇyakaśipu. 3 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. VI. 6. 44-5; ch. 7-8 (whole); V. 7. 1; Br. III. 1. 86.] [ Footnote: 2) Bhā. VI. 9. 1-5; 13. 5.] [ Footnote: 3) M. 161. 80.] [ ID=13229 ]
- a name of Trishiras, a son of Tvashta  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 3-275 ] Viśvarūpa (IV) — a name of Triśiras, a son of Tvaṣṭa. Vā. 65. 85. [ ID=13232 ]

### Name: Various Persons (Scholars, Other Individuals) (3 definitions)
- A name of various scholars, especially of a commentator on Yajnavalkya.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of various scholars &c. ( esp. of a Sch. on Yājñ. ), Kull.; Cat. &c. [ ID=201281 ]
- a Shukradeva  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Viśvarūpa (II) — a Śukradeva (ajita). Br. II. 13. 94; Vā. 31. 7. [ ID=13230 ]
- a son of Rupavati and devotee of Narayana  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Viśvarūpa (III) — a son of Rūpavatī, and devoted to Nārāyaṇa: elected Purohita in the absence of Bṛhaspati who went to the earth due to a curse by sages: Indra quarrelled with him, and the latter repaired to spend his life in penance. Sages cursed Indra for this. Br. IV. 9. 4-8. [ ID=13231 ]

### Epithet of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa (2 definitions)
- an epithet of Vishnu-Krishna  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Viṣṇu-Kṛṣṇa, Cat. [ ID=201278 ]
- an epithet of Vishnu  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 679-03 ] विश्व - रूप (viśva-rūpa) (I) m. an epithet of Vishṇu. [ ID=35666 ]

### Name: Asura / Rākṣasa (2 definitions)
- an Asura  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of an Asura, MBh.; Hariv. [ ID=201280 ]
- an Asura  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > विश्वरूप (viśvarūpa) [Printed book page 730-1 ] Viśvarūpa 1, an Asura. § 268 (Varuṇasabhāv.): II, 9, 366 (among the Daityas and Dānavas in the palace of Varuṇa). [ ID=11941 ]

### Plant: Agallochum (2 definitions)
- Agallochum  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > विश्व (viśva) — रूप (—rūpa) n. Agallochum, W. [ ID=201286 ]
- agallochum  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > विश्व - रूप (viśva-rūpa) (II) n. agallochum. [ ID=35667 ]

### Epithet of Śiva (1 definition)
- an epithet of Shiva  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Śiva, MBh. [ ID=201277 ]

### Epithets of Various Deities/Concepts (1 definition)
- 1. Shiva. 2. Hiranyagarbha. 3. Mahapurusha. 4. Krishna or Vishnu.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Viśvarūpa 3 = Śiva: VII, †9548, 9621 (etymology); X, 253; XII, 211 ( Mahādevaḥ ), †10438 (1000 names 1 ), 11785 ( Rudrasya ); XIII, 589, 606 ( Śivāya, B. Viṣṇurāpāya ), 727 ( Maheśvaraḥ ), 908, 1125, 1149 (1000 names 2 ), 1155 (do.), Page730-b+ 63 7503, 7513 (etymology); XIV, 209, 211.—Do. 4 = Hiraṇya- garbha: XII, 11233.—Do. 5 = Mahāpuruṣa (Mahāpuruṣa- stava).—Do. 6 = Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu); XII, †2403, 13109; XIII, †7367, †7388, †7390. [ ID=11943 ]

### Noun: Various Forms / Multiplicity (1 definition)
- various forms  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 993,3] विश्व (viśva) — रूप (—rūpa) n. sg. various forms, Mn.; Pañcar.; RāmatUp. [ ID=201273 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546