Shloka 16

देवस्तुतिः (Deva-stuti) — “Hymn of the Devas / Divine Praise”

Devanagari script

यतः समागता यूयं मिलित्वा सर्व एकदा । मां निदेशयत प्रीत्योचितं मत्त्वा स्वसेवकम्

Transliteration

yataḥ samāgatā yūyaṃ militvā sarva ekadā | māṃ nideśayata prītyocitaṃ mattvā svasevakam

Translation

Da ihr alle euch hier zugleich versammelt habt, weist mich bitte an—haltet mich für euren eigenen Diener—was in Liebe und Hingabe zu tun geziemt.

Word by Word

• yataḥ: since/because
• yataḥ: Hetu-dyotaka (हेतु-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; causal/conjunctive adverb (यतः = because/since)

• samāgatāḥ: have come/assembled
• samāgatāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; past active participle (क्त); Masculine Nominative Plural; agreeing with yūyam

• yūyam: you (all)
• yūyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Plural; 2nd person pronoun

• militvā: having met/joined together
• militvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mil (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)

• sarve: all (of you)
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Plural; used appositionally with yūyam

• ekadā: once/at one time
• ekadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ekadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म/द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया) Singular; 1st person pronoun

• nideśayata: instruct/direct (me)
• nideśayata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-diś (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष) Plural (बहुवचन)

• prīti-ucitam: what is proper out of affection
• prīti-ucitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक) + ucita (प्रातिपदिक; from √uc)
• Form: Neuter; Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया) Singular; adjective used substantively as object of nideśayata; तत्पुरुषसमासः—prītyā ucitam (proper out of affection)

• mattvā: having considered (me as)
• mattvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय) from √man ‘to think/consider’; having considered

• sva-sevakam: your own servant
• sva-sevakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sevaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine; Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया) Singular; predicate accusative with mattvā; तत्पुरुषसमासः—svaḥ sevakaḥ (one’s own servant)

Speaker

Parvati

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights bhakti expressed as humility: the speaker asks to be guided, adopting the attitude of a devoted attendant. In Shaiva thought, such surrender (śaraṇāgati) purifies the ego and makes one fit for Shiva’s grace.

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

Linga/Saguna worship is grounded in loving service—following guidance on what is ‘proper’ (ucita) in puja, vrata, and conduct. The servant-attitude in this verse is the inner disposition that makes external worship fruitful.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests cultivating sevā-bhāva during practice—performing Shiva-puja with obedience and affection, repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) while mentally offering oneself as Shiva’s servant, and aligning actions with scriptural instruction.