Shloka 54

शिवागमन-नाद-समागमः (Śiva’s Advent, the Drum-Sound, and the Cosmic Assembly)

Devanagari script

स उवाच गिरौ शम्भुः कैलासे पर्वतोत्तमे । सगणो योगनिरतस्स्वच्छन्दो ध्यान तत्परः

Transliteration

sa uvāca girau śambhuḥ kailāse parvatottame | sagaṇo yoganiratassvacchando dhyāna tatparaḥ

Translation

On Mount Kailāsa, the supreme of mountains, Śambhu spoke. Surrounded by His gaṇas, He was absorbed in yoga, moving in perfect freedom, wholly intent on meditation.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• girau: on the mountain
• girau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• śambhuḥ: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śambhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition to saḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• kailāse: on Kailāsa
• kailāse: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kailāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• parvata-uttame: on the best of mountains
• parvata-uttame: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पर्वतानाम् उत्तमः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; adjective to ‘kailāse/girau’

• sa-gaṇaḥ: with his attendants
• sa-gaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गणैः सह), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective to ‘śambhuḥ’

• yoga-nirataḥ: engaged in yoga
• yoga-nirataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + nirata (कृदन्त/ppp of √ram with ni-)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (योगे निरतः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• svacchandaḥ: self-willed/free
• svacchandaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svacchanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dhyāna: meditation
• dhyāna: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; object-domain of तत्पर)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषे पूर्वपद (in compound sense), here used as first member with tatparaḥ

• tat-paraḥ: intent on that
• tat-paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्मिन् परः/तत्परः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the scene of Lord Śiva at Kailāsa)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Darśana of Kailāsa is held to purify karmas and intensify vairāgya; here it functions as the archetypal seat of Śiva’s yogic sovereignty.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganas
• Kailasa

FAQs

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

It presents Śiva as Pati—the perfectly free Lord (svacchanda) who remains established in yoga and meditation even while attended by gaṇas, indicating that true sovereignty is inner stillness and mastery over bonds.

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

Kailāsa-Śambhu is a Saguna presentation of the Supreme: approachable as the Lord with form and attendants, yet described as deeply absorbed in dhyāna—pointing devotees from form-based worship (liṅga/arcana) toward inner contemplation of the same Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse emphasizes dhyāna and yogic absorption; a practical takeaway is steady meditation with mantra-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while cultivating inner freedom (svacchandatā) through discipline and detachment.