Shloka 3

मङ्गलपत्रिकाग्रहणम् — Reception of the Auspicious Marriage Invitation

Devanagari script

किं चकार महादेवः प्राप्य मङ्गलपत्रिकाम् । तां श्रावय कथान्दिव्यां शङ्करस्सपरात्मनः

Transliteration

kiṃ cakāra mahādevaḥ prāpya maṅgalapatrikām | tāṃ śrāvaya kathāndivyāṃ śaṅkarassaparātmanaḥ

Translation

Nachdem Mahādeva den glückverheißenden Brief empfangen hatte, was tat er? Bitte erzähle uns die göttliche Begebenheit von Śaṅkara, dem Höchsten Selbst.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म (Karma/Object—interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• चकार: did
• चकार: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास ‘महान् देवः’; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) — ‘having obtained’

• मङ्गल-पत्रिकाम्: the auspicious letter
• मङ्गल-पत्रिकाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव) ‘मङ्गला पत्रिका’; स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ताम्: that (letter)
• ताम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• श्रावय: cause (me/us) to hear / recite
• श्रावय: आज्ञार्थक्रिया (Imperative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रावय (णिजन्त; √श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative ‘make (someone) hear’

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: कर्मविशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स-पर-आत्मनः: of the one whose self is supreme (i.e., the Supreme)
• स-पर-आत्मनः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + पर (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास ‘परः आत्मा यस्य सः’ (having the Supreme Self); पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन — ‘of him who is the Supreme Self’

Speaker

Sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (addressing Sūta Gosvāmi)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Parvati

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse frames Śiva not merely as a character in a story but as Paramātman; hearing His divine acts with śraddhā is presented as a sacred means to awaken devotion and right understanding of Pati (the Lord).

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

By requesting the “divine account” of Śaṅkara, the sages affirm Saguna-Śiva’s accessible līlā as a doorway to realizing Him as the Supreme Self—an approach central to Purāṇic Linga-bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) is implied: hear Śiva-kathā with reverence, ideally alongside remembrance of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to steady the mind in Śiva-bhakti.