Shloka 36

संहाररूप-प्रादुर्भावः

Manifestation of Śiva’s Saṃhāra-Form

Devanagari script

नृसिंहकृत्तिवसनस्तदाप्रभृति शंकरः । तद्वक्त्रं मुण्डमालायां नायकत्वेन कल्पितम्

Transliteration

nṛsiṃhakṛttivasanastadāprabhṛti śaṃkaraḥ | tadvaktraṃ muṇḍamālāyāṃ nāyakatvena kalpitam

Translation

Von da an trug Śaṅkara das Fell des Menschen-Löwen (Nṛsiṃha) als Gewand; und jenes (Löwen-)Antlitz wurde als vorderstes Sinnbild in seiner Schädelgirlande eingesetzt.

Word by Word

• नृसिंहकृत्तिवसनः: wearer of Narasiṃha’s hide
• नृसिंहकृत्तिवसनः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृसिंह + कृत्ति + वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: नृसिंहस्य कृत्तिः (चर्म) तस्य वसनम् यस्य ‘wearing the hide of Narasiṃha’

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रभृति: from (that time) onward
• प्रभृति: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘from, starting from’ (ablatival sense)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with वक्त्रम्

• वक्त्रम्: face
• वक्त्रम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• मुण्डमालायाम्: in the garland of skulls
• मुण्डमालायाम्: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्ड + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मुण्डानां माला

• नायकत्वेन: as leadership / in the role of leader
• नायकत्वेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायकत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; abstract noun in -त्व

• कल्पितम्: was appointed/arranged
• कल्पितम्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘arranged/appointed’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga-sthala episode; the verse functions as iconographic-theological narration: Śiva assumes a fearsome, transgressive emblem (hide and skull-garland) as a sign of mastery over death and terror.

Significance: General Śaiva phala: contemplation of Bhairava/Śaṅkara as conqueror of fear and death; inspires vairāgya and śaraṇāgati.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Śiva as the supreme Lord who transforms fearsome symbols—hide and skull-garland—into marks of transcendence, teaching detachment from the body and victory over death (mṛtyu) through devotion to Pati, the Lord of all beings.

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

The verse highlights Saguna Śiva’s recognizable emblems (kṛtti, muṇḍamālā) that devotees contemplate while worshipping the Liṅga, understanding that these forms point beyond themselves to Śiva’s timeless, deathless reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as the conqueror of death while chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and applying Tripuṇḍra-bhasma with reverence, cultivating vairāgya (dispassion) and fearlessness.