Shloka 23

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

अशनिर्भानुकश्चैव चतुष्षष्ट्या सहस्रशः । ययुश्शिवविवाहार्थं शिवेन सहसोत्सवाः

Transliteration

aśanirbhānukaścaiva catuṣṣaṣṭyā sahasraśaḥ | yayuśśivavivāhārthaṃ śivena sahasotsavāḥ

Translation

Aśani and Bhānuka as well, together with sixty-four thousand others, set out with Śiva for the sake of Śiva’s marriage, all proceeding in a spirit of great festivity.

Word by Word

• अशनिर्भानुकः: Aśanirbhānuka (a named attendant/being)
• अशनिर्भानुकः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशनिर्भानुक (प्रातिपदिक; अशनिः+भानुक, कर्मधारय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासान्त-प्रातिपदिक

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• चतुःषष्ट्या: by/with sixty-four
• चतुःषष्ट्या: सह/परिमाण-निर्देश (Measure/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुःषष्टि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; संख्याशब्दः (numeral)

• सहस्रशः: by thousands; in thousands
• सहस्रशः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (distributive adverb)

• ययुः: they went
• ययुः: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिवविवाहार्थम्: for Shiva’s marriage
• शिवविवाहार्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव+विवाह+अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; शिवविवाहस्य अर्थः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• शिवेन: with Shiva
• शिवेन: सहकर्ता/सह (Sahakāraka/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: सह (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

• सह-उत्सवाः: accompanied by festivities
• सह-उत्सवाः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह+उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक; सहोत्सव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (qualifying the goers)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights how the Lord’s saguna līlā (divine play) draws countless beings into auspiciousness and devotion; the wedding procession symbolizes dharma and cosmic harmony centered on Śiva as Pati (the supreme Lord).

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

Though the Liṅga points to Śiva’s transcendent reality, this verse emphasizes Saguna Śiva—worshipped through līlā, celebration, and remembrance—showing that devotion to His manifest acts also becomes a path toward grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to observe Śiva’s auspicious occasions (like Mahāśivarātri) with nāma-japa—especially the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and devotional celebration as an offering of mind and conduct.