Shloka 44

देवगुरुप्रेषणम्

Himālaya Mission of the Gods’ Preceptor / The Gods Send Their Guru

Devanagari script

निराश्रयायासंगाय कुरूपायागुणाय च । श्मशानवासिने व्यालग्राहिरूपाय योगिने

Transliteration

nirāśrayāyāsaṃgāya kurūpāyāguṇāya ca | śmaśānavāsine vyālagrāhirūpāya yogine

Translation

Salutations to the Lord who is without dependence and without attachment; who appears in a fearsome form and is beyond the guṇas; who dwells in cremation grounds; who bears the form that seizes and subdues serpents; and who is the supreme Yogi.

Word by Word

• nir-āśrayāya: to the supportless one
• nir-āśrayāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘to the one without support’

• a-saṃgāya: to the unattached one
• a-saṃgāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + saṃga (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); privative (नञ्)

• ku-rūpāya: to the ill-formed/terrible-formed one
• ku-rūpāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ku- (उपसर्ग/प्रत्ययार्थ) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• a-guṇāya: to the attributeless one
• a-guṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘without qualities’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• śmaśāna-vāsine: to the cremation-ground dweller
• śmaśāna-vāsine: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śmaśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘dweller in the cremation-ground’

• vyāla-grāhi-rūpāya: to the one whose form seizes serpents
• vyāla-grāhi-rūpāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyāla (प्रातिपदिक) + grāhin (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘having the form of a serpent-catcher/seizer’

• yogine: to the yogin
• yogine: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva-stuti context to the sages of Naimisharanya within Rudrasaṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: निराश्रयायासंगाय कुरूपायागुणाय च । श्मशानवासिने व्यालग्राहिरूपाय योगिने

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It praises Shiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) who is independent (nirāśraya), unattached (asaṅga), and beyond the guṇas (aguṇa), teaching that liberation comes by turning from worldly dependence and resting awareness in the transcendent Lord who still compassionately appears in forms accessible to devotees.

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

Though Shiva is declared aguṇa (beyond qualities), devotees approach Him through saguna symbols—especially the Śiva-liṅga and meditative iconography like the cremation-ground ascetic—so the verse bridges nirguṇa truth with saguna worship that purifies the soul and leads toward realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the supreme Yogi—unattached and beyond the guṇas—while repeating the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”); for Shaiva practice, accompany it with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and a steady contemplative remembrance of impermanence symbolized by the cremation ground.