Shloka 4

देवाः वैकुण्ठगमनम् तथा विष्णोः अवतारस्तुतिः | Devas Go to Vaikuṇṭha and Praise Viṣṇu’s Avatāras

Devanagari script

मत्स्यरूपाय ते विष्णो वेदान्नीतवते नमः । सत्यव्रतेन सद्राज्ञा प्रलयाब्धिविहारिणे

Transliteration

matsyarūpāya te viṣṇo vedānnītavate namaḥ | satyavratena sadrājñā pralayābdhivihāriṇe

Translation

Salutations to You, O Viṣṇu, who assumed the form of a Fish and rescued the Vedas; salutations to You who, together with the righteous king Satyavrata, moved upon the ocean of dissolution (pralaya).

Word by Word

• मत्स्य-रूपाय: to (you) in the form of a fish
• मत्स्य-रूपाय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘मत्स्यस्य रूपम्’ → ‘मत्स्यरूप’

• ते: of you / your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• विष्णो: O Viṣṇu
• विष्णो: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• नीतवते: to the one who brought (them)
• नीतवते: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; ‘नीतवत्’ = ‘having led/brought’

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/उद्गार (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable interjection/particle of salutation)

• सत्य-व्रतेन: by/with Satyavrata
• सत्य-व्रतेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः) ‘सत्यं व्रतम् यस्य/यत्’ → ‘सत्यव्रत’ (name)

• सत्-राज्ञा: by the good king
• सत्-राज्ञा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास ‘सन् राजाः’ → ‘सद्राजन्’; रूपम्: राज्ञा

• प्रलय-अब्धि-विहारिणे: to the one who sports in the ocean of dissolution
• प्रलय-अब्धि-विहारिणे: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + विहारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘प्रलयस्य अब्धिः’ (षष्ठी) + ‘तस्मिन् विहारिन्’ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-भावः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pralaya (cosmic deluge)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Matsya
• Satyavrata
• Vedas

FAQs

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

It praises divine guardianship of sacred knowledge: even during pralaya, the Lord ensures the Vedas are preserved. In Shaiva Siddhānta, this supports the idea that śāstra (revealed wisdom) is protected by Īśvara’s grace so souls (paśu) can progress toward liberation.

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

Though addressed to Viṣṇu, the Shiva Purana models sectarian harmony: devotion to the Supreme is expressed through saguna forms and divine acts. For a Śaiva, such praise aligns with honoring Shiva’s cosmic governance (pati) that includes preservation of dharma and revelation, which Linga-worship embodies as the sign of the Supreme.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is nāma-japa and stuti: recite this verse as a protective prayer before Veda/śāstra study or during Mahāśivarātri vrata, while maintaining Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Panchākṣarī japa as one’s primary Śaiva discipline.