Shloka 8

Śivāṣṭamūrti-varṇanam

Description of Shiva’s Eight Forms

Devanagari script

सर्वावकाशदं सर्वव्यापकं गगनात्मकम् । रूपं भीमस्य भीमाख्यं भूपवृन्दस्व भेदकम्

Transliteration

sarvāvakāśadaṃ sarvavyāpakaṃ gaganātmakam | rūpaṃ bhīmasya bhīmākhyaṃ bhūpavṛndasva bhedakam

Translation

Die Gestalt Bhīmas—genannt „Bhīma“—verleiht allen Raum, durchdringt alles und ist von der Natur des Himmels (ākāśa). Sie zerschmettert Hochmut und Selbstüberhebung der Scharen von Königen.

Word by Word

• सर्वावकाशदम्: giving space to all
• सर्वावकाशदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + अवकाश + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वेषाम् अवकाशं ददाति’ (giver of space to all)

• सर्वव्यापकम्: all-pervading
• सर्वव्यापकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + व्यापक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वत्र व्यापकम्’

• गगनात्मकम्: sky-natured / of the nature of space
• गगनात्मकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गगन + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘गगनम् आत्मा/स्वरूपं यस्य’

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• भीमस्य: of Bhīma (the terrible one)
• भीमस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• भीमाख्यम्: named Bhīma
• भीमाख्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘भीम-आख्य’ = ‘named Bhīma’

• भूपवृन्दस्व: O lord of the multitude of kings (reading uncertain)
• भूपवृन्दस्व: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप + वृन्द + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; पाठदोष/संदिग्धपाठ: ‘भूपवृन्दस्य’ अपेक्षितम् (genitive) वा ‘भूपवृन्दस्व’ as vocative ‘O lord of kings’ (स्व = स्वामिन्/स्व)

• भेदकम्: destroying/splitting
• भेदकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु) → भेदक (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्तरि-ण्वुल्/कृदन्त-भाव: ‘that which splits/destroys’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Bhīmaśaṃkara

Sthala Purana: Bhīmaśaṃkara is celebrated as Śiva’s fierce protection and grace in the Bhīma aspect; the name ‘Bhīma’ here aligns with the tradition of Śiva manifesting to subdue oppressive pride and restore dharma.

Significance: Darśana is sought for removal of fear and arrogance, protection, and purification of ego (ahaṅkāra) through surrender to Śiva’s all-pervading presence.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as Bhīma who is simultaneously vast like space and present everywhere, teaching that true sovereignty belongs to Pati (Shiva) alone, while worldly power collapses when ego is confronted by divine reality.

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

Though Shiva is ultimately beyond form (nirguṇa), devotees approach him as saguna—here as Bhīma—whose all-pervading presence is contemplated in the Linga as the sign of the infinite, grounding devotion and dissolving pride.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as ākāśa-like—limitless, all-pervading—while repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering humility (namas) to dissolve ‘svābhimāna’ (self-pride).