Shloka 16

Daśa-Śivāvatāra-Nirūpaṇa

Enumeration of Ten Prime Manifestations of Śiva with Their Śaktis

Devanagari script

शत्रुमारणकार्य्यादौ तत्तच्छक्तिः परा मता । खल दण्डकरी नित्यम्ब्रह्मतेजोविवर्द्धिनी

Transliteration

śatrumāraṇakāryyādau tattacchaktiḥ parā matā | khala daṇḍakarī nityambrahmatejovivarddhinī

Translation

في أعمالٍ كقهر الأعداء (بل وإهلاكهم) وما شابه ذلك، تُعَدُّ تلك الشاكتي الموافقة هي العليا. فهي تؤدّب الأشرار على الدوام، وتزيد باستمرار بهاءَ البراهمان (الإشراق الروحي).

Word by Word

• शत्रुमारणकार्य्यादौ: in acts such as killing enemies, etc.
• शत्रुमारणकार्य्यादौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru + māraṇa + kārya + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अव्ययीभाव-प्राय ‘आदि’ सहित); अर्थः “शत्रु-मारण-कार्य-आदि-स्थले/प्रसङ्गे”

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; distributive use with repetition

• तत्: that (each)
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; repetition: “each and every”

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• परा: supreme
• परा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• मता: is considered
• मता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (मन् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), भूतकर्मणि; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; “considered/held to be”

• खल: O wicked one / O knave
• खल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (8/1), एकवचन; पाठानुसार सम्बोधन-प्राय

• दण्डकरी: inflicting punishment
• दण्डकरी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṇḍa + karī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (“दण्डं करोति/ददाति”)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• ब्रह्मतेजोविवर्द्धिनी: increasing Brahmanic splendor
• ब्रह्मतेजोविवर्द्धिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahma + tejas + vivarddhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (“ब्रह्मणः तेजः विवर्धयति”)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Kālabhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as the foremost among Śiva’s fierce salvific manifestations; the verse’s punitive-protective śakti theme resonates with Ujjayinī’s Mahākāla who subdues adharma and grants fearlessness.

Significance: Protection from fear and hostile forces; inner purification through confronting tamas and adharma; seeking Śiva’s guardianship.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Caṇḍikā

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that Shiva’s Śakti is the supreme operative power behind protection and righteous restraint: she removes hostile forces (outer and inner) and increases brahma-tejas—clarity, purity, and spiritual authority—supporting the soul’s movement toward liberation.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In Linga-worship, devotees approach Saguna Shiva as Pati together with Śakti as his dynamic grace. This verse emphasizes that the Lord’s protective and corrective functions manifest through Śakti, so worship is not merely symbolic but invokes a living power that upholds dharma and awakens inner radiance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to worship Shiva with mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namah Shivaya”) while cultivating purity (bhasma/Tripundra and disciplined conduct), praying that Śakti subdue harmful tendencies and increase brahma-tejas (steadfastness, discernment, and devotion).