Shloka 9

Dāruvana-parīkṣā: Śaṅkara’s Test and the Linga’s Ritual-Theological Grounding

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे साक्षाच्छंकरो नील लोहितः । विरूपं च समास्थाय परीक्षार्थं समागतः

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare sākṣācchaṃkaro nīla lohitaḥ | virūpaṃ ca samāsthāya parīkṣārthaṃ samāgataḥ

Translation

Just then, Śaṅkara Himself—dark-hued and ruddy—arrived in person. Assuming a strange and uncomely guise, He came there in order to test them.

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location-Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अन्तरे: in the meantime
• अन्तरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘अन्तरे’ = ‘in the interval/meanwhile’

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रत्यक्षार्थे (directly/manifestly)

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नीललोहितः: blue-red (epithet)
• नीललोहितः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + lohita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive): ‘नीलश्च लोहितश्च’ (blue-and-red); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of शंकरः)

• विरूपम्: a distorted/strange form
• विरूपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: virūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘a strange/ugly form’ (object of समास्थाय)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• समास्थाय: having assumed
• समास्थाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial to main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sthā (सम्+आ+स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal): ‘having assumed/taken up’

• परीक्षार्थम्: for testing
• परीक्षार्थम्: Hetu (हेतु/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (purpose): ‘परीक्षायाः अर्थम्’ = for the sake of testing; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोजनार्थे)

• समागतः: arrived
• समागतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√gam (सम्+आ+गम् धातु) + ta (क्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘arrived/come’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Śiva appears in person as Nīlalohita, adopting an intentionally ‘virūpa’ guise to test the forest-sages. This is a classic purāṇic motif: the Lord veils His majesty (tirodhāna) to expose subtle bondage—ritual pride, judgment, and misrecognition—so that true anugraha can later arise.

Significance: Teaches discernment: the Lord may come in unexpected forms; honoring Śiva in all beings and beyond appearances is itself a pilgrimage of consciousness.

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva, the Pati (Lord), may appear in unexpected forms to test the devotee’s purity of perception; true bhakti recognizes the Divine beyond external beauty, status, or social markers.

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

Like the Liṅga—aniconic and beyond ordinary attributes—Śiva’s ‘virūpa’ guise points to a Saguna appearance that conceals His transcendent nature, training devotees to honor Śiva’s presence even when it is not aesthetically pleasing.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with humility, and cultivate equal reverence (samadarśana) toward all beings—an inner discipline aligned with Śiva’s tests of ego and discrimination.