Shloka 57

हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्

The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms

Devanagari script

तमजं शंकरं साक्षात्तेजोराशिमुमापतिम् । सर्वज्ञं सर्वकर्तारं नीललोहितसंज्ञकम्

Transliteration

tamajaṃ śaṃkaraṃ sākṣāttejorāśimumāpatim | sarvajñaṃ sarvakartāraṃ nīlalohitasaṃjñakam

Translation

Then he beheld Śaṅkara—unborn and directly manifest—an immense mass of divine radiance, the Lord of Umā; the all-knowing, the doer of all, renowned by the name Nīlalohita.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• अजम्: unborn
• अजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective (विशेषण), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Proper noun (संज्ञा), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• साक्षात्: directly; manifestly
• साक्षात्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण-भाव/qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable/अव्यय), Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तेजः-राशिम्: mass/heap of radiance
• तेजः-राशिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक) + rāśi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• उमा-पतिम्: lord of Umā
• उमा-पतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: umāyāḥ patiḥ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• सर्व-ज्ञम्: all-knowing
• सर्व-ज्ञम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• सर्व-कर्तारम्: maker of all
• सर्व-कर्तारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• नील-लोहित-संज्ञकम्: named ‘Nīlalohita’
• नील-लोहित-संज्ञकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nīla (प्रातिपदिक) + lohita (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃjñaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष: nīlalohita-iti saṃjñā yasya), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The epithet Nīlalohita is Vedic-Rudra in flavor and not a Jyotirliṅga-specific marker here; the verse is a vision-description (darśana) emphasizing direct manifestation (sākṣāt).

Significance: Darśana of Śaṅkara as ‘tejorāśi’ models the goal of pilgrimage and worship: direct encounter with the luminous Lord who is sarvajña and sarvakartṛ.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shankara
• Uma (Parvati)
• Nīlalohita (Rudra form)

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as Pati—the unborn, self-manifest Lord—who is both transcendent (a radiant tejorāśi) and immanent as the all-knowing, all-doing source of cosmic order, guiding the soul toward liberation.

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

By describing Shiva as directly manifest and radiant, it supports Saguna upāsanā: devotees approach the Supreme through a perceivable form—such as the Śiva-liṅga—while recognizing Him as the ultimate creator and knower beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as a sphere of light (tejorāśi) while repeating the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and worship the Śiva-liṅga with bhakti, holding the awareness of Him as Umāpati and Sarvajña.