Shloka 58

मेना-शिवदर्शन-प्रस्थानम् | Menā’s Quest to Behold Śiva

Departure for Śiva’s Darśana

Devanagari script

असंख्यातान् गणान् दृष्ट्वा भूतप्रेतादिकान् मुने । तत्क्षणादभवत्सा वै मेनका त्राससंकुला

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātān gaṇān dṛṣṭvā bhūtapretādikān mune | tatkṣaṇādabhavatsā vai menakā trāsasaṃkulā

Translation

O Weiser, als sie unzählige Gaṇas erblickte, begleitet von Wesen wie Bhūtas und Pretas, wurde Menakā in eben diesem Augenblick von Furcht überwältigt.

Word by Word

• अ-संख्यातान्: countless
• अ-संख्यातान्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संख्या (प्रातिपदिक) → संख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + अ (निषेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• गणान्: hosts/troops
• गणान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having seen’

• भूत-प्रेत-आदिकान्: (consisting of) bhūtas, pretas, etc.
• भूत-प्रेत-आदिकान्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन; ‘आदि’ अन्तेन तत्पुरुषः (X-etc.): ‘bhūtas, pretas, etc.’; गणान् इति विशेषणम्

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तत्-क्षणात्: immediately, from that moment
• तत्-क्षणात्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनार्थे अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial ‘from that moment/instantly’)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• मेनका: Menakā
• मेनका: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘सा’ इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशन

• त्रास-संकुला: filled with fear
• त्रास-संकुला: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रास (प्रातिपदिक) + संकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; समासः—‘त्रासेन संकुला’ तृतीया-तत्पुरुष; मेनकायाः विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Characters & Entities

• Menakā
• Gaṇas
• Bhūtas
• Pretas

FAQs

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

The verse contrasts worldly perception with Shaiva understanding: those who see Śiva’s attendants (gaṇas) through ordinary fear react with distress, while devotees learn to recognize them as manifestations of Śiva’s sovereign order (pati-tattva) that subdues the ego and purifies fear.

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

The gaṇas, bhūtas, and pretas belong to Saguna Śiva’s divine retinue—signs of His lordship over all realms, including liminal and frightening states. Linga-worship trains the mind to move from भय (fear) to śaraṇāgati (refuge) in Śiva, seeing even the terrifying as under His grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is fear-transformation through Śiva-upāsanā: repeat the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with steady breath, and adopt śuddhi practices like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as reminders that all beings and states are held within Śiva’s protection.