Shloka 26

Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

गायन्ति सिद्धाः किल गीतकानि ये वाराणस्यां निवसन्ति विप्राः / तेषामथैकेन भवेन मुक्तिर् ये कृत्तिवासं शरणं प्रपन्नाः

Transliteration

gāyanti siddhāḥ kila gītakāni ye vārāṇasyāṃ nivasanti viprāḥ / teṣāmathaikena bhavena muktir ye kṛttivāsaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapannāḥ

Translation

Wahrlich, die Siddhas singen heilige Lieder über die Brahmanen, die in Vārāṇasī wohnen. Für sie kommt die Befreiung in nur einem Leben — für jene, die bei Kṛttivāsa (Śiva) Zuflucht genommen haben.

Word by Word

• गायन्ति: sing
• गायन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सिद्धाः: Siddhas
• सिद्धाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; सिध्-धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; report/indeed)

• गीतकानि: songs/hymns
• गीतकानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• निवसन्ति: dwell
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वास् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मण’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• अथ: then/and
• अथ: Sambandha/Discourse connector (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction/then)

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘by one’

• भवेन: by (one) existence/birth
• भवेन: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भावे

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta/Phala (कर्ता/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• कृत्तिवासम्: Kṛttivāsa (Śiva)
• कृत्तिवासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘कृत्तिः वासो यस्य’ (शिवनाम)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘as refuge’ (गत्यर्थे)

• प्रपन्नाः: having surrendered
• प्रपन्नाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘प्रपन्न’)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग—‘having taken refuge’

Speaker

Suta (traditional Purana narrator) describing the Varanasi-Kashi liberation doctrine within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Siddhas
• Varanasi (Kashi)
• Vipras (Brahmins)
• Krittivasa (Shiva)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

It frames liberation as attainable through śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) in Śiva at Kāśī, implying that realization and release are granted by divine grace to the surrendered, rather than merely by prolonged worldly striving.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes bhakti-yoga expressed as prapatti (complete surrender) to Kṛttivāsa; in Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, such devotion harmonizes with disciplined conduct and inner purification associated with Pāśupata-oriented spirituality.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By presenting mokṣa through refuge in Śiva within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa context, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: liberation is upheld through devotion to the Supreme as manifest in Śiva, without contradicting Viṣṇu’s overarching divinity.