Shloka 4

शिवरूपदर्शनम्

Menā’s Vision of Śiva’s Divine Form

Devanagari script

तद्दृष्ट्वा सुन्दरं शम्भुं स्वरूपम्मन्मथा धिकम् । अत्यहृष्यो मुने त्वं हि लावण्यपरमायनम्

Transliteration

taddṛṣṭvā sundaraṃ śambhuṃ svarūpammanmathā dhikam | atyahṛṣyo mune tvaṃ hi lāvaṇyaparamāyanam

Translation

Seeing that beautiful Śambhu—whose very form surpassed even Manmatha, the god of love—O sage, you were exceedingly delighted, for He is the supreme abode of all loveliness.

Word by Word

• tat: that (him)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative pronoun used adverbially = 'that (him/it)'

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त), 'having seen'

• sundaram: beautiful
• sundaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sundara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adjective qualifying 'śambhum'

• śambhum: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śambhum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• svarūpam: his own form
• svarūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva+rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; 'own-form' (स्वस्य रूपम्)

• manmathāt: than Manmatha (Kāma)
• manmathāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manmatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• adhikam: more/exceeding
• adhikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; comparative sense with ablative 'manmathāt'

• ati: very/exceedingly
• ati: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (अव्यय)
• Form: Prefix/particle (उपसर्ग/निपात) intensifier

• ahṛṣyaḥ: was delighted
• ahṛṣyaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया; predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) used predicatively; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; 'became delighted'

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Second person pronoun; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) emphasizing/indeed

• lāvaṇya-parama-āyanam: the supreme abode of beauty
• lāvaṇya-parama-āyanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lāvaṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + parama (प्रातिपदिक) + āyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; compound meaning 'supreme abode of beauty' (लावण्यस्य परमम् आयनम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Manmatha

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the transformative power of Śiva-darśana: the devotee’s heart becomes uplifted and joyful upon beholding Śambhu’s auspicious (saguna) form, indicating that divine beauty is not mere aesthetics but a revelation of Śiva’s grace that draws the soul toward liberation.

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

It supports saguna-upāsanā by affirming that Śiva’s manifest form is a valid and grace-filled focus for devotion; in the Shiva Purana, the Liṅga and Śiva’s forms both function as accessible supports through which the devotee receives darśana, devotion deepens, and the mind becomes steady in Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dhyāna on Śambhu’s auspicious form (rūpa-dhyāna) along with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” especially on Mahāśivarātri, to cultivate joy, devotion, and one-pointedness.