Shloka 50

वीरभद्र-भैरव-आह्वानम् — Invocation of Vīrabhadra/Bhairava for Cosmic Reabsorption

Devanagari script

विस्मृतिः किं तदंशेन दंष्ट्रोत्पातनपीडितम् । वाराहविघ्नहस्तेऽद्य याक्रोशन्तारकारिणा

Transliteration

vismṛtiḥ kiṃ tadaṃśena daṃṣṭrotpātanapīḍitam | vārāhavighnahaste'dya yākrośantārakāriṇā

Translation

Wie könnte bei Ihm Vergessen oder Nachlässigkeit sein? Schon mit einem winzigen Anteil seiner Macht zermalmt Er die Qual, die aus dem Ausreißen der Hauer entsteht. Heute wird Er durch dieselbe Hand, die das Hindernis des Varāha (Ebers) beseitigt, zum Retter, der die Klagenden über das Leid hinüberführt.

Word by Word

• vismṛtiḥ: forgetfulness
• vismṛtiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vismṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• kim: what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाक्ये प्रश्नार्थकं

• tat-aṃśena: by/with that portion
• tat-aṃśena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): tasya aṃśaḥ; पुंलिङ्ग (masc) aṃśa, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• daṃṣṭrā-utpātana-pīḍitam: tormented by the uprooting of the tusk
• daṃṣṭrā-utpātana-pīḍitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṃṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक) + utpātana (प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍita (√pīḍ + kta)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: daṃṣṭrāyā utpātanam = daṃṣṭrotpātanam; tena pīḍitam; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• vārāha-vighna-haste: in the hand of the boar-obstacle (Varāha as obstructer)
• vārāha-vighna-haste: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक) + vighna (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: vārāhasya vighnaḥ = vārāhavighnaḥ; tasya haste; पुंलिङ्ग (masc) hasta, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• adya: today/now
• adya: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• yā: which (she)
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yā (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धवाचक/यद्-शब्द (relative pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ākrośantā: crying out
• ākrośantā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā-√kruś (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (fem), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ārakāriṇā: by the one who causes protection/relief (ārakārin)
• ārakāriṇā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārakārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतुवाचक-प्रयोग (agent/instrument)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga origin; the verse praises salvific agency—‘tārakāriṇā’—as the Lord who ferries devotees across distress, consistent with Śiva as liberator.

Significance: Devotional takeaway: calling upon Śiva as Tāraka (deliverer) removes obstacles and carries the bound soul across saṃsāra—core Siddhānta emphasis on anugraha.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Varaha

FAQs

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

The verse praises Shiva’s unfailing attentiveness and saving power: even a fraction of his śakti removes intense suffering and turns distress into deliverance, affirming Shiva as Pati (the Lord) who protects the bound soul (paśu) and leads it toward liberation.

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

It highlights Saguna Shiva’s compassionate, active grace—removing obstacles and rescuing devotees who call out. In Linga-worship, this same grace is approached through devotion, mantra, and offering, trusting that Shiva’s presence is immediately protective and liberating.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to take refuge through japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and prayer for obstacle-removal and inner steadiness; this aligns with Shaiva practice of invoking Shiva as Tāraka during fear, suffering, and life-transitions.