Shloka 20

नन्दिकेश्वरशिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्

The Māhātmya of the Nandikeśvara Śiva-liṅga

Devanagari script

ऋषिकोवाच । देवदेव महादेव शरणागतवत्सल । दीनबन्धुस्त्वमीशानो भक्तरक्षाकरः सदा

Transliteration

ṛṣikovāca | devadeva mahādeva śaraṇāgatavatsala | dīnabandhustvamīśāno bhaktarakṣākaraḥ sadā

Translation

The sage said: “O God of gods, O Mahādeva—You are ever affectionate to those who seek refuge. You are the friend of the helpless, the sovereign Lord, and always the protector of Your devotees.”

Word by Word

• ṛṣiḥ: the sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (ऋषि, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच्, धातु)
• Form: तिङन्त, लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• deva-deva: O God of gods
• deva-deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव, प्रातिपदिक) + deva (देव, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (Karmadhāraya: 'god of gods'); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• mahā-deva: O Mahādeva
• mahā-deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (महा, प्रातिपदिक) + deva (देव, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (Karmadhāraya: 'great god'); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• śaraṇa-āgata-vatsala: O lover of those who seek refuge
• śaraṇa-āgata-vatsala: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaraṇa (शरण, प्रातिपदिक) + āgata (आगत, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + vatsala (वत्सल, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: 'affectionate to those who have come for refuge'); पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• dīna-bandhuḥ: (you are) friend of the distressed
• dīna-bandhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīna (दीन, प्रातिपदिक) + bandhu (बन्धु, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: 'friend/kinsman of the poor'); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun); प्रथमा, एकवचन

• īśānaḥ: Īśāna (the Lord)
• īśānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (ईशान, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate nominative)

• bhakta-rakṣā-karaḥ: protector of devotees
• bhakta-rakṣā-karaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (भक्त, प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣā (रक्षा, प्रातिपदिक) + kara (कर, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: 'doer of protection of devotees'); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla (काल/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

A sage (Rishi)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: devadeva mahādeva śaraṇāgatavatsala | dīnabandhustvamīśāno bhaktarakṣākaraḥ sadā

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) as the core Shaiva path: when the soul turns to Pati (Shiva) with humility, Shiva’s anugraha (grace) manifests as protection and upliftment of the distressed devotee.

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

The verse praises Shiva’s accessible, compassionate Saguna aspect—worshipped as the Linga and as Mahādeva—who responds to the devotee’s surrender with guardianship, a key devotional mood in Jyotirlinga narratives of the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice bhakti with śaraṇāgati: daily Linga-pūjā, japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and prayerful remembrance of Shiva as “bhakta-rakṣaka” (protector of devotees).