Shloka 1

ब्राह्मणीमरणवर्णनम् (Account of the Brahmin Woman’s Death) — within Nandikeśvara-māhātmya

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । कालंजरे गिरौ दिव्ये नीलकण्ठो महेश्वरः । लिंगरूपस्सदा चैव भक्तानन्दप्रदः सदा

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | kālaṃjare girau divye nīlakaṇṭho maheśvaraḥ | liṃgarūpassadā caiva bhaktānandapradaḥ sadā

Translation

Sūta said: On the divine mountain Kālañjara, the blue-throated Lord Mahādeva abides ever in the form of the Liṅga, and eternally bestows bliss upon His devotees.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kālaṃjare: at Kālaṃjara
• kālaṃjare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālaṃjara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोग (स्थाननाम); एकवचन, सप्तमी (locative singular)

• girau: on the mountain
• girau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी (locative singular)

• divye: divine
• divye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी (locative singular) (agreeing with girau)

• nīla-kaṇṭhaḥ: Nīlakaṇṭha (blue-throated one)
• nīla-kaṇṭhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नीलः कण्ठः यस्य/नीलकण्ठः); पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• liṅga-rūpaḥ: having the form of a liṅga
• liṅga-rūpaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (लिङ्गं रूपं यस्य/लिङ्गरूपः); पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

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

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• bhakta-ānanda-pradaḥ: giver of joy to devotees
• bhakta-ānanda-pradaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भक्तानां आनन्दं प्रददाति इति); पुल्लिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: On the divine Kālañjara mountain, Śiva abides perpetually as a Liṅga (liṅgarūpa), granting ānanda to devotees; the verse functions as a sthala-mahātmya-style localization of Śiva’s immanence in a fixed sacred geography.

Significance: Darśana of the Liṅga at the mountain-sthāna is framed as direct access to Śiva’s grace (anugraha) and devotee-bliss (bhaktānanda).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes that Śiva, though transcendent, compassionately remains accessible in the Liṅga-form at a sacred kṣetra, where He continually grants ānanda (divine bliss) to devotees—highlighting the Shaiva Siddhānta emphasis on grace (anugraha) through worship.

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

By naming Mahādeva as ‘liṅgarūpaḥ sadā,’ the verse affirms the Liṅga as Śiva’s enduring manifest presence (saguṇa-upāsanā support), through which devotees approach the formless reality and receive His blessings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is steady Liṅga-upāsanā: darśana and pūjā of the Śiva-liṅga with bhakti, supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and contemplative remembrance of Nīlakaṇṭha as the ever-present Lord.