Shloka 21

नभोवाणी-दक्ष-निन्दा तथा सती-माहात्म्य-प्रतिपादनम् / The Celestial Voice Rebukes Dakṣa and Proclaims Satī’s Greatness

Devanagari script

सहस्रेणापि शिरसां शेषो यत्पादजं रजः । वहत्यहरहः प्रीत्या तस्य शक्तिः शिवा सती

Transliteration

sahasreṇāpi śirasāṃ śeṣo yatpādajaṃ rajaḥ | vahatyaharahaḥ prītyā tasya śaktiḥ śivā satī

Translation

Even Śeṣa, with his thousand heads, lovingly bears day after day the dust that has arisen from her feet. Such is Satī—the auspicious Śivā—who is the very Śakti of that Lord Śiva.

Word by Word

• सहस्रेण: with a thousand
• सहस्रेण: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपेक्षा (also/even)

• शिरसाम्: of heads
• शिरसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शेषः: Śeṣa (the serpent)
• शेषः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यत्: whose
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (whose)

• पादजम्: born from the foot
• पादजम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद + ज (प्रातिपदिक), तत्पुरुष-समास (पादात् जातम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण रजसः

• रजः: dust
• रजः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वहति: carries
• वहति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहरहः: day after day
• अहरहः: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहः + अहः (प्रातिपदिक), अव्ययीभाव-समास (प्रत्यहं)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb), कालवाचक (every day)

• प्रीत्या: with love, gladly
• प्रीत्या: Hetu (हेतु/Cause; manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण शक्तेः

• शक्तिः: Śakti, power
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• शिवा: Śivā
• शिवा: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समानाधिकरण (apposition) शक्तेः

• सती: Satī
• सती: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समानाधिकरण (apposition)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A hyperbolic praise within the Dakṣa-yajña narrative frame: even Ananta-Śeṣa bears the dust of Satī’s feet, underscoring Śakti’s supreme venerability as Śiva’s own power.

Significance: Cultivates śaraṇāgati to Śiva-Śakti: honoring Satī/Śivā is honoring Śiva; such devotion is portrayed as universally upheld even by cosmic beings.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati
• Shesha (Ananta)

FAQs

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

It proclaims Satī as Śiva’s inseparable Śakti—so exalted that even Ananta Śeṣa reverently bears the dust of her feet—teaching that liberation-oriented devotion honors the unity of Pati (Śiva) and Śakti.

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

In Saguna worship, Śiva is adored with His power (Śakti) as an inseparable reality; thus Linga-pūjā is fulfilled when performed with devotion that recognizes Śiva as the Lord and Satī/Devī as His manifest grace and energy.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Śiva-Śakti bhakti in daily Linga-pūjā—offering with reverence (bhāva), reciting the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and mentally bowing to the divine feet as the source of purifying grace.