Shloka 20

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

काष्ठाङ्गुष्ठश्चतुष्षष्ट्या कोटीनां गणनायकः । विरूपाक्षस्सुकेशश्च वृषाभश्च सनातनः

Transliteration

kāṣṭhāṅguṣṭhaścatuṣṣaṣṭyā koṭīnāṃ gaṇanāyakaḥ | virūpākṣassukeśaśca vṛṣābhaśca sanātanaḥ

Translation

Kāṣṭhāṅguṣṭha, the leader who presides over the reckoning of sixty-four crores; Virūpākṣa and Sukeśa; and Vṛṣābha, the eternal one—these are (among) the divine Gaṇas in Śiva’s retinue.

Word by Word

• काष्ठ-अङ्गुष्ठः: Kāṣṭhāṅguṣṭha (a gaṇa-name)
• काष्ठ-अङ्गुष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्गुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (name/epithet); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुः-षष्ट्या: by sixty-four
• चतुः-षष्ट्या: Karana (करण/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुःषष्टि (प्रातिपदिक, संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (षष्टि-प्रत्ययान्त संख्या), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘by sixty-four’

• कोटीनाम्: of crores
• कोटीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• गण-नायकः: leader of the gaṇas
• गण-नायकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक) + नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गणानां नायकः’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विरूप-अक्षः: Virūpākṣa (one with odd/uneven eyes)
• विरूप-अक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरूप (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (possessive): ‘विरूपे अक्षिणी यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सु-केशः: Sukeśa (one with fine hair)
• सु-केशः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘सुन्दराः केशाः यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• वृष-अभः: Vṛṣābha (bull-like)
• वृष-अभः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—name in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘वृषस्य इव आभा/रूपं यस्य’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse honors specific Gaṇas—Śiva’s divine attendants—showing that the Lord’s cosmic governance operates through ordered hosts and appointed powers. Remembering them supports bhakti toward Saguna Śiva, whose retinue reflects his protective and world-sustaining functions.

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

Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is devotion to Śiva as the accessible (Saguna) Lord; his Gaṇas are part of that sacred presence and guardianship. Reverence to Śiva’s attendants reinforces the sense of being sheltered within Śiva’s domain while approaching the Linga with humility and faith.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple practice is nāma-smaraṇa: recite “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and mentally offer respect to Śiva’s Gaṇas as protectors of the sacred space—especially before Linga-pūjā, while applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) or wearing rudrākṣa.