Shloka 18

शिवस्यार्द्धनारीनरावतारवर्णनम्

Description of Shiva’s Ardhanārī-nara Manifestation

Devanagari script

न निर्गतं पुरा त्वत्तो नारीणां कुलमव्ययम् । तेन नारीकुलं श्रेष्ठं मम शक्तिर्न विद्यते

Transliteration

na nirgataṃ purā tvatto nārīṇāṃ kulamavyayam | tena nārīkulaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ mama śaktirna vidyate

Translation

Von dir ging zu Beginn nicht das unvergängliche Geschlecht der Frauen hervor. Darum ist die weibliche Linie erhabener; und ohne sie wird meine eigene Śakti nicht offenbar.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध)

• nirgatam: gone out, issued forth
• nirgatam: Kriya (क्रिया; participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir√gam (धातु)
• Form: Kta (क्त) past passive participle (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• purā: formerly, earlier
• purā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (कालवाचक)

• tvattaḥ: from you
• tvattaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• nārīṇām: of women
• nārīṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• kulam: family, lineage
• kulam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• avyayam: imperishable, undecaying
• avyayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + vyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अ-व्यय = अविनाशी)

• tena: therefore, by that
• tena: Hetu (हेतु/cause; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• nārīkulam: the lineage of women
• nārīkulam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नारीणां कुलम्)

• śreṣṭham: excellent, supreme
• śreṣṭham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• śaktiḥ: power, capability
• śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध)

• vidyate: exists, is found
• vidyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); bhāva/ अस्त्यर्थ प्रयोग

Speaker

Lord Shiva (implied, speaking in a doctrinal context on Shakti and manifestation within the Shatarudrasaṃhitā narration)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the Shaiva Siddhanta insight that Shiva’s supreme consciousness (Pati) is inseparable from Shakti, the power by which creation and grace become manifest; honoring the feminine principle is thus honoring Shiva’s own operative potency.

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

In Linga worship, Shiva is adored as the transcendent reality, while Shakti is implicitly present as the dynamic power of revelation and blessing; this verse supports Saguna devotion where Shiva’s grace is experienced through His Shakti in the world.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to worship Shiva together with Shakti—mentally pairing japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with reverence for the divine power that enables realization, supported by traditional Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and steady mantra-japa.