Shloka 7

शिवरूपदर्शनम्

Menā’s Vision of Śiva’s Divine Form

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । मेने पश्य विशालाक्षि शिवरूपमनुत्तमम् । कृता शिवेन तेनैव सुकृपा करुणात्मना

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | mene paśya viśālākṣi śivarūpamanuttamam | kṛtā śivena tenaiva sukṛpā karuṇātmanā

Translation

Nārada said: “O wide-eyed one, behold that unsurpassed form of Śiva. By that very Śiva—whose nature is compassion—grace (sukṛpā) has indeed been bestowed.”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मेने: O Menā
• मेने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• पश्य: see/behold
• पश्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विशालाक्षि: O wide-eyed one
• विशालाक्षि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (विशालानि अक्षीणि यस्याः सा)

• शिवरूपम्: Śiva’s form
• शिवरूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य रूपम्)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of शिवरूपम्)

• कृता: done/made
• कृता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• तेन: by him/with that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• सु-कृपा: great kindness
• सु-कृपा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा (प्रातिपदिक) + सु (अव्यय-पूर्वपद)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु + कृपा)

• करुणात्मना: by the compassionate-hearted one
• करुणात्मना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (करुणः आत्मा यस्य सः)

Speaker

Nārada

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Narada

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva’s anugraha (saving grace): realization of the “unsurpassed form” is not merely intellectual, but arises through the compassionate bestowal of Śiva, aligning with Shaiva Siddhanta where Pati (Śiva) liberates the bound soul by grace.

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

By emphasizing “Śivarūpa” (Śiva’s form), the verse supports saguna-upāsanā—approaching Śiva through a tangible focus such as the Śivaliṅga or a divine form—while teaching that the true fruit of worship is Śiva’s grace, not just external ritual.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is grace-oriented devotion: meditate on Śiva’s form (dhyāna) and repeat the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with humility; offerings of bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa-dhāraṇa may be adopted as supportive Shaiva disciplines to cultivate receptivity to anugraha.