Shloka 15

मेना-शिवदर्शन-प्रस्थानम् | Menā’s Quest to Behold Śiva

Departure for Śiva’s Darśana

Devanagari script

नायं रुद्रश्शिवास्वामी सेवकोयं शिवस्य वै । इत्यवोचोगपत्न्यै त्वं तावद्वह्निस्स आगतः

Transliteration

nāyaṃ rudraśśivāsvāmī sevakoyaṃ śivasya vai | ityavocogapatnyai tvaṃ tāvadvahnissa āgataḥ

Translation

“He is not Rudra, nor is he a master like Śiva; he is indeed only a servant of Śiva.” Having said this to the wife of the sage, at that very moment Agni (the Fire-god) arrived there.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेधार्थक अव्यय)

• ayam: this (man)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śiva-svāmī: Śiva, the Lord
• śiva-svāmī: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + svāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (शिव एव स्वामी)

• sevakaḥ: servant
• sevakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate noun of ayam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sevaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śivasya: of Śiva
• śivasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक अव्यय)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (उद्धरणार्थक अव्यय)

• avocat: said/spoke
• avocat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• gapatnyai: to the wife of Ga (Gā’s wife)
• gapatnyai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gapatnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता) (vocative-like address; grammatically nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Second person pronoun, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tāvat: meanwhile/just then
• tāvat: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb/particle (परिमाण/अवधिबोधक अव्यय) = “just then/so long/meanwhile”

• vahniḥ: Agni (fire-god)
• vahniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (in apposition to vahniḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• āgataḥ: came/arrived
• āgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (गम् धातु) (with उपसर्ग ā-)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with vahniḥ/saḥ

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa episode to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Agni

FAQs

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

It emphasizes Shaiva Siddhanta’s hierarchy: Śiva is Pati (the Supreme Lord), while other powers—even when appearing formidable—are subordinate; spiritual maturity includes recognizing true Lordship and cultivating humility and devotion.

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

By declaring Śiva as the true Master, it supports Saguna Śiva worship (including Liṅga-upāsanā) as devotion directed to the Supreme, not merely to secondary divine functionaries.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is bhakti grounded in right knowledge: practice japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with an attitude of śaraṇāgati (surrender), seeing all other powers as instruments of Śiva.