Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

भद्रस्य दिव्यरथारोहणं शङ्खनादश्च — Bhadra’s Divine Chariot-Ascent and the Conch-Blast

Devanagari script

ललाटे ऽभिहितो विष्णुः पूर्वमेवावमानितः । चुकोप गणपेंद्राय मृगेंद्रायेव गोवृषः

Transliteration

lalāṭe 'bhihito viṣṇuḥ pūrvamevāvamānitaḥ | cukopa gaṇapeṃdrāya mṛgeṃdrāyeva govṛṣaḥ

Translation

إنَّ فيشنو—وقد أُهين من قبل إذ ذُكر كأنه مجردُ علامةٍ على الجبين—اشتعل غضبًا على غانيشا، كما يهيج الثورُ الجبارُ في مواجهة أسدٍ مهيبٍ سيّد.

Word by Word

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अभिहितः: was addressed/called
• अभिहितः: Kriyā (क्रिया; participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु) → अभिहित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘called/said’

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• अवमानितः: having been insulted
• अवमानितः: Kriyā (क्रिया; participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-मान् (धातु) → अवमानित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘insulted’

• चुकोप: became angry
• चुकोप: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गणपेन्द्राय: towards the lord of the gaṇas (Gaṇeśa)
• गणपेन्द्राय: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गणानाम् इन्द्रः), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• मृगेन्द्राय: to the lord of beasts (lion)
• मृगेन्द्राय: Upamāna (उपमान; in simile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मृगाणाम् इन्द्रः), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इव: like/as
• इव: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• गोवृषः: a bull (among cows)
• गोवृषः: Karta (कर्ता; subject of implied comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + वृष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (गोवृषः = गोषु वृषः/गोवृषः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ganesha

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how wounded pride and dishonour ignite anger even in great beings; Shaiva Siddhanta emphasizes that grace arises through humility and surrender to Pati (Shiva), not through ego-based rivalry.

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

By portraying conflict born from misrecognition and insult, the narrative indirectly points to the need for right understanding (tattva-jñāna) of Saguna Shiva’s order—where Gaṇeśa, as Shiva’s gaṇa-nāyaka, functions within Shiva’s cosmic governance often symbolized by Linga-worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa with the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to cool anger and purify pride, supported by disciplined devotion such as applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of impermanence and restraint.