Shloka 11

महाबलमाहात्म्यवर्णनम् (Mahābala Māhātmya-varṇanam) — “Account of the Greatness of Mahābala (and Western Sacred Liṅgas)”

Devanagari script

गोकर्णे तत्र मुनयो गत्वा पुण्यर्क्षवासरे । येऽर्चयन्ति च तं भक्त्या ते रुद्राः स्युर्न संशय

Transliteration

gokarṇe tatra munayo gatvā puṇyarkṣavāsare | ye'rcayanti ca taṃ bhaktyā te rudrāḥ syurna saṃśaya

Translation

Dort in Gokarṇa gehen die Weisen an einem glückverheißenden Tag unter einem heiligen Mond-Nakṣatra hin; wer Ihn in Bhakti verehrt, wird gewiss zu einem Rudra—daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• गोकर्णे: at Gokarṇa
• गोकर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gokarṇa (प्रातिपदिक/स्थाननाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: there)

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), ‘having gone’

• पुण्य-ऋक्ष-वासरे: on an auspicious nakṣatra-day
• पुण्य-ऋक्ष-वासरे: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुण्यं ऋक्षं यस्मिन् वासरे / पुण्य-नक्षत्र-दिने)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-यः-तद् (relative pronoun)

• अर्चयन्ति: worship
• अर्चयन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: arc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तम्: him/that (liṅga)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• रुद्राः: Rudras
• रुद्राः: Pratijñā/Predicate-nominative (विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• स्युः: would be; become
• स्युः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘no doubt’ इति वाक्यांशे

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The māhātmya highlights that sages who arrive at Gokarṇa on a puṇya-nakṣatra day and worship Śiva with bhakti ‘become Rudras’—a Purāṇic idiom for attaining Rudra-sāyujya/sārūpya (Śiva-like participation), stressing the kṣetra’s power when aligned with auspicious cosmic timing.

Significance: Merit amplified by auspicious nakṣatra; promise of Rudra-sāmīpya/sāyujya (becoming ‘Rudra-like’) through bhakti-yukta arcana.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudras
• Sages
• Gokarna

FAQs

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

It declares that sincere bhakti offered to Śiva at the Gokarṇa tīrtha—especially on an auspicious nakṣatra day—transforms the devotee by granting Rudra-sāmīpya (nearness and participation in Rudra’s divine nature), indicating powerful purification and upliftment toward mokṣa.

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

In the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā, Jyotirliṅga worship is Saguna devotion to Śiva’s manifest presence. The verse emphasizes that arcana (ritual worship) performed with devotion at the liṅga is not merely symbolic—it is a means of real grace, drawing the worshipper into Śiva’s Rudra-tattva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-arcana at Gokarṇa on an auspicious nakṣatra day: offer water/abhisheka, bilva leaves, and repeat the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with bhakti; keep the mind fixed on Śiva as Pati (the Lord) who liberates the paśu (bound soul).