Shloka 6

Devīkṛta-praśna-varṇana (Description of the Goddess’s Questions) / देवीकृतप्रश्नवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

पुराखिलजगन्माता सती दाक्षायणी तनुम् । शिवनिन्दाप्रसङ्गेन त्यक्त्वा च जनकाध्वरे

Transliteration

purākhilajaganmātā satī dākṣāyaṇī tanum | śivanindāprasaṅgena tyaktvā ca janakādhvare

Translation

Formerly, Satī Dākṣāyaṇī—the Mother of the entire universe—abandoned her body at her father Dakṣa’s sacrifice, because of the occasion of Śiva’s condemnation.

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of time

• अखिल-जगत्-माता: mother of the entire world
• अखिल-जगत्-माता: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain: ‘अखिलस्य जगतः माता’; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st), Singular

• सती: Satī
• सती: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; proper name

• दाक्षायणी: Dākṣāyaṇī
• दाक्षायणी: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; patronymic ‘daughter of Dakṣa’

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karma (कर्म/object of ‘त्यक्त्वा’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• शिव-निन्दा-प्रसङ्गेन: due to the occasion of Śiva’s insult
• शिव-निन्दा-प्रसङ्गेन: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain: ‘शिवस्य निन्दायाः प्रसङ्गः’; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त), from √त्यज्; ‘having abandoned’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• जनक-अध्वरे: in her father’s sacrifice
• जनक-अध्वरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक) + अध्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी): ‘जनकस्य अध्वरे’ (in father’s sacrifice); Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse recalls Dakṣa’s yajña where Satī abandons the body due to Śiva-nindā; this episode becomes the archetype for Śiva’s honor (śiva-māhātmya) and the catastrophic consequence of disrespecting Pati.

Significance: Remembering Satī’s tyāga functions as a cautionary purāṇic paradigm: nindā of Śiva intensifies pāśa (bondage) and precipitates duḥkha; reverence and bhakti become the remedy.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: destructive

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Dakṣa-yajña crisis leading toward the Vīrabhadra episode (yajña-bhaṅga) in the larger narrative arc

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati
• Daksha

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva-nindā (disparaging the Lord) is a grave spiritual fault; Satī’s renunciation of the body at Dakṣa’s yajña underscores unwavering bhakti and the Shaiva view that devotion to Pati (Śiva) must not be compromised by social or ritual pride.

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

The verse supports Saguna Śiva-bhakti: when Śiva is insulted, the very sanctity of ritual collapses. In Shaiva practice, Linga-worship is protected by reverence (śraddhā) and the refusal to participate in environments hostile to Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A key takeaway is to avoid Śiva-nindā and instead cultivate steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with inner purity; where appropriate, maintain Shaiva marks like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and a disciplined devotional attitude.