Shloka 5

Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga

Devanagari script

कृत्वा विश्वगुरुं विष्णुं पार्श्वे देवो महेश्वरः / ययौ निवृत्तविज्ञानस्थापनार्थं च शङ्करः

Transliteration

kṛtvā viśvaguruṃ viṣṇuṃ pārśve devo maheśvaraḥ / yayau nivṛttavijñānasthāpanārthaṃ ca śaṅkaraḥ

Translation

Nachdem der Herr Maheshvara (Shiva) Vishnu—den Weltenlehrer—an seine Seite gestellt hatte, brach er auf; und Shankara ging, um die Weisheit der Entsagung, das Nivṛtti-Jñāna, zu begründen.

Word by Word

• kṛtvā: having made/placed
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), ‘having made/done’

• viśva-gurum: the world-teacher
• viśva-gurum: Karma (कर्म/object of kṛtvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष ‘teacher of the world’

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karma (कर्म/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; in apposition to viśva-gurum

• pārśve: at (his) side
• pārśve: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; apposition to devaḥ

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect/लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• nivṛtta-vijñāna-sthāpana-artham: for establishing (true) withdrawn knowledge
• nivṛtta-vijñāna-sthāpana-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivṛtta + vijñāna + sthāpana + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; purpose-accusative; multi-member तत्पुरुष: ‘for the purpose of establishing withdrawn/dispassionate knowledge’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• śaṅkaraḥ: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• śaṅkaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; apposition to maheśvaraḥ

Speaker

Suta (narrator) describing the event within the Kurma Purana’s discourse framework

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Maheshvara
• Shankara

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling Vishnu the “World-Guru” and showing Shiva acting in harmony with him, the verse points to a single supreme spiritual authority guiding liberation—suggesting a unified, transcendent ground of wisdom that leads to renunciatory realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The key practice implied is nivṛtti-oriented discipline: turning away from sense-driven activity toward discriminative knowledge (vijñāna). In Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, this aligns with Pashupata-flavored renunciation supported by right knowledge and detachment.

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

It depicts cooperation rather than rivalry: Shiva places Vishnu as the guiding World-Teacher and proceeds to establish renunciatory wisdom, reflecting the Purana’s non-sectarian stance where Shiva and Vishnu function as complementary expressions of the same liberating dharma.