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Shloka 20

शिवरूपदर्शनम्

Menā’s Vision of Śiva’s Divine Form

तस्मिंश्च समये तत्र सुषमा या परात्मनः । वर्णितुं तां विशेषेण कश्शक्नोति मुनीश्वर

tasmiṃśca samaye tatra suṣamā yā parātmanaḥ | varṇituṃ tāṃ viśeṣeṇa kaśśaknoti munīśvara

And at that time, in that very place, the unsurpassed excellence of the Supreme Self (Śiva) shone forth. O lord among sages, who indeed has the power to describe that glory in full detail?

तस्मिन्in that (time/occasion)
तस्मिन्:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
and
:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)
समयेat the time
समये:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसमय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)
सुषमाsplendour/beauty
सुषमा:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसुषमा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
याwhich
या:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)
परात्मनःof the Supreme Self
परात्मनः:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootपरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
वर्णितुम्to describe
वर्णितुम्:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
TypeVerb
Rootवर्णय्/वर्ण् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), कर्मवाच्य-प्रयोजन (to describe)
ताम्that (splendour)
ताम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
विशेषेणespecially, in particular
विशेषेण:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (instrumental used adverbially)
कःwho
कः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
शक्नोतिis able
शक्नोति:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootशक् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
मुनीश्वरO lord of sages
मुनीश्वर:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनीनां ईश्वरः)

Suta Goswami

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

S
Shiva

FAQs

It teaches that Śiva as the Paramātman is ultimately beyond complete verbal description; the devotee approaches this transcendence through humility, reverence, and bhakti rather than mere intellectual narration.

Though Śiva’s supreme reality is ineffable (Paramātman), the tradition points devotees to accessible saguna forms—especially the Śiva-liṅga—through which the mind can contemplate and worship what cannot be fully captured by words.

A practical takeaway is japa with the Pañcākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with inward contemplation, accepting that mantra and devotion lead the mind toward Śiva’s glory even when speech falls short.