Shloka 53

द्वन्द्वयुद्धवर्णनम् / Description of the Duel-Combats

Devanagari script

शंकर उवाच । किमर्थं मद्गणानां हि महाकोलाहलोऽभवत् । विचार्यतां महावीराश्शांतिः कार्या मया ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

śaṃkara uvāca | kimarthaṃ madgaṇānāṃ hi mahākolāhalo'bhavat | vicāryatāṃ mahāvīrāśśāṃtiḥ kāryā mayā dhruvam

Translation

Śaṅkara said: “For what reason has this great tumult arisen among My gaṇas? Consider it well, O great heroes. Surely, I must bring about peace.”

Word by Word

• śaṃkaraḥ: Śaṅkara
• śaṃkaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• artham: purpose/reason
• artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); with kim = ‘for what purpose’

• mat-gaṇānām: of my attendants
• mat-gaṇānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘mama gaṇāḥ’

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात)

• mahā-kolāhalaḥ: great uproar
• mahā-kolāhalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kolāhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘mahān kolāhalaḥ’

• abhavat: arose/occurred
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, Aorist/Imperfect-like past), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vicāryatām: let it be considered
• vicāryatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-car (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, Imperative), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive/impersonal sense: ‘let it be considered’

• mahā-vīrāḥ: O great heroes
• mahā-vīrāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Plural (बहुवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘mahāntaḥ vīrāḥ’

• śāntiḥ: peace
• śāntiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāryā: to be done/should be made
• kāryā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kārya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Gerundive (तव्यत्/यत्; here -ya), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with śāntiḥ

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• dhruvam: certainly
• dhruvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya used adverbially (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Śaṅkara)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganas

FAQs

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

Śiva is shown as Śaṅkara—the auspicious Lord who does not endorse chaos even among divine forces. From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, this reflects Pati (the Lord) restoring order by directing awareness (vicāra) and establishing śānti, which is also the basis for spiritual clarity.

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

The verse highlights Saguna Śiva as the compassionate governor of the cosmos who intervenes to pacify disturbance. Linga worship similarly approaches Śiva as the stabilizing presence—invoked to settle agitation and re-establish harmony in the devotee and in the world.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is śānti-sādhana: calm inquiry before action. Devotionally, one may do japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a śānti-bhāva, optionally wearing rudrākṣa and applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as reminders of restraint, purity, and inner steadiness.