Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 3

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

Departure for Śiva’s Darśana

तावद्ब्रह्मा समायातस्तेजसां गशिरुत्तमः । सर्षिवर्य्यसुतस्साक्षाद्धर्मपुंज इव स्तुतः

tāvadbrahmā samāyātastejasāṃ gaśiruttamaḥ | sarṣivaryyasutassākṣāddharmapuṃja iva stutaḥ

Just then Brahmā arrived—supreme among the radiant ones, foremost in splendour—praised as though he were Dharma itself gathered into a single form, manifest in person, like the illustrious son of the best of sages.

तावत्then / meanwhile
तावत्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्राय)
Formअव्यय; काल/परिमाणवाचक (until then/so long)
ब्रह्माBrahmā
ब्रह्मा:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
समायातःarrived
समायातः:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + आ + √या (धातु)
Formकृदन्त—क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘having come/arrived’
तेजसाम्of splendors / of luminous beings
तेजसाम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
अग्र-शिरः-उत्तमःthe foremost / best among the heads (i.e., chief)
अग्र-शिरः-उत्तमः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अग्रे शिरः यस्य / शिरसाम् उत्तमः)
स-ऋषि-वर्य-सुतःthe son of the excellent sage
स-ऋषि-वर्य-सुतः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-प्राय) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ऋषिवर्यस्य सुतः); पाठभेदे ‘सर्षि-’ = ‘स + ऋषि’
साक्षात्in person
साक्षात्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसाक्षात् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (directly/in person)
धर्म-पुञ्जःa heap/embodiment of dharma
धर्म-पुञ्जः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पुञ्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (धर्माणां पुञ्जः)
इवlike
इव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमानवाचक (simile particle)
स्तुतःpraised
स्तुतः:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√स्तु (धातु)
Formकृदन्त—क्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग-प्रायः (praised)

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

B
Brahma
R
Rishis
D
Dharma

FAQs

The verse frames Brahmā as a luminous, Dharma-aligned cosmic authority, showing that even the highest deities are to be understood through the lens of Dharma that ultimately supports devotion to Pati (Śiva) and the soul’s right orientation.

By portraying Brahmā as ‘praised’ and ‘radiant,’ the text sets a devotional atmosphere where divine hierarchy culminates in reverence—preparing the listener for Saguna worship (including Liṅga-upāsanā) in which gods themselves participate as devotees within Śiva’s cosmic order.

The practical takeaway is to cultivate Dharma-based devotion: begin worship with praise (stuti), maintain purity and right conduct, and anchor the mind in mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) before proceeding to formal offerings.