Shloka 28

Devanagari script

निपात्य शक्तिं तीव्रतरां प्रकृत्या ह्यति दुर्गमाम् । कान्तारं दग्धुकामान्तान्मलयानलसुप्रभाम्

Transliteration

nipātya śaktiṃ tīvratarāṃ prakṛtyā hyati durgamām | kāntāraṃ dagdhukāmāntānmalayānalasuprabhām

Translation

Unleashing, by her very innate nature, a power far more intense, she made that exceedingly impassable wilderness blaze forth—radiant like the fire that rises from the Malaya mountains—intent on burning up the hostile forces to their very end.

Word by Word

• निपात्य: having cast down
• निपात्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-पत् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), उपसर्गः नि-; क्रियाविशेषणभावः

• शक्तिम्: power/energy
• शक्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीव्रतराम्: more intense
• तीव्रतराम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); तरप्-प्रत्यय (Comparative)

• प्रकृत्या: by nature
• प्रकृत्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• अति: exceedingly
• अति: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preverb/adverb), तीव्रताबोधक

• दुर्गमाम्: hard to traverse
• दुर्गमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कान्तारम्: a wilderness/forest
• कान्तारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दग्धुकामान्: those desiring to burn (it)
• दग्धुकामान्: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्धु (धातु-दह् + तुमुन्; infinitive-stem) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (Determinative; ‘दग्धुं कामः येषाम्’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अन्तान्: ends/boundaries
• अन्तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मलय-अनल-सुप्रभाम्: splendid like the Malaya fire
• मलय-अनल-सुप्रभाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + सुप्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (Determinative; ‘मलयस्य अनल इव सुप्रभा’—Malaya-fire-like splendid), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasa discourse to the sages, describing the manifestation of Shakti’s fierce energy)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shakti

FAQs

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

It portrays divine Śakti as a purifying, transformative force: what appears as “burning” outwardly symbolizes the destruction of inner impurities and hostile tendencies that obstruct the soul’s (paśu’s) return to Shiva (Pati).

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

In Saguna worship, Shiva is adored with His inseparable Śakti; the verse highlights that Shiva’s grace operates through Śakti to remove obstacles, making devotion to the Linga a practice of inner cleansing and protection.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva-Śakti as a flame of awareness that burns ignorance; accompany japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of purification and the impermanence of bonds.