Shloka 15

Andhakeśvara-liṅga Māhātmya and Śiva’s Subjugation of Andhaka (अन्धकेश्वरलिङ्गमाहात्म्य तथा अन्धकवध-प्रसङ्ग)

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । इत्युक्तस्तेन दैत्यं तं तद्गर्ते चाक्षिपद्धरः । स्वयं तत्र स्थितो लिंगरूपोऽसौ लोककाम्यया

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | ityuktastena daityaṃ taṃ tadgarte cākṣipaddharaḥ | svayaṃ tatra sthito liṃgarūpo'sau lokakāmyayā

Translation

Sūta said: Thus addressed, Dhara the Bear cast that demon into that very pit. Then, for the welfare of the world and the fulfillment of its aspirations, the Lord Himself remained established there in the form of the Liṅga.

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तः: (being) addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (कर्ता; of passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘having been spoken to/addressed’

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• दैत्यम्: the demon
• दैत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-समर्थन (as determiner), एकवचन — used as demonstrative ‘that’ (with ‘गर्ते’)

• गर्ते: in the pit
• गर्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative singular

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

• अक्षिपत्: threw/cast
• अक्षिपत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular

• धरः: the bearer (Śiva)
• धरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; epithet (likely of Śiva: ‘the bearer’)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (emphatic adverb)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्थितः: remained/stood
• स्थितः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; ‘stood/remained’

• लिङ्गरूपः: in the form of a liṅga
• लिङ्गरूपः: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative singular; लिङ्गस्य रूपम् (as a liṅga-form)

• असौ: that one/he
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun, Nominative singular

• लोककाम्यया: for the world’s wish/for world-benefit
• लोककाम्यया: Hetu/Karana (हेतु/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental singular; ‘for the sake of the world’s desire’/‘with world-benefiting intent’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Upon Andhaka’s plea, Dhara (the bear) casts him into the pit; Śiva, moved for loka-kāmyā (the world’s welfare/aspirations), abides there as a liṅga—an archetypal sthala-purāṇa motif explaining a local liṅga’s manifestation and its salvific accessibility.

Significance: Establishes the liṅga as a grace-form: Śiva makes Himself ritually approachable for all, turning a site of downfall (pit) into a site of uplift (liṅga-sthāna).

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Dhara (the Bear)
• a Daitya (demon)

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva’s Liṅga-manifestation is an act of grace: after the removal of adharma (the demon), the Lord remains accessible in a stable, worshipable form so devotees may attain protection, fulfillment, and ultimately liberation.

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

The verse explicitly states that the Lord ‘stood there as Liṅga-rūpa,’ indicating Saguna accessibility: the transcendent (Nirguṇa) Shiva compassionately becomes worshipable as the Liṅga so the world can approach Him through pūjā, darśana, and devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Liṅga-pūjā with bhakti—offering water, bilva leaves, and reciting the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating Shiva as the abiding Presence established for loka-kalyāṇa (the world’s welfare).