Shloka 60

त्रिपुरदीक्षाविधानम् — Tripura Dīkṣā: Prescriptive Procedure

Chapter on the Ordinance of Initiation

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य त्रिपुराधीशितुस्तदा । दूरीकृत्य मुखाद्वस्त्रमुवाच ऋषिसत्तमः

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | ityākarṇya vacastasya tripurādhīśitustadā | dūrīkṛtya mukhādvastramuvāca ṛṣisattamaḥ

Translation

Sanatkumāra said: Having thus heard the words of that lord of Tripura, the best of sages removed the cloth from his face and spoke.

Word by Word

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya-samāsa (proper name); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom.), Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (वाक्यार्थ-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kṛṇ/√karṇ (धातु: √kṛṇ ‘to hear’)
• Form: Lyap/ktvā-artha absolutive in -ya (gerund); upasarga: ā-; pūrvakāla-kriyā

• vacaḥ: the words
• vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (Acc.), Ekavacana

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma; Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka (contextual), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Gen. 6th), Ekavacana

• tripura-adhīśituḥ: of the lord of Tripura
• tripura-adhīśituḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tripura (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīśitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa) ‘tripurasya adhīśitā’; Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Gen.), Ekavacana

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (then)

• dūrī-kṛtya: having moved away / having removed
• dūrī-kṛtya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dūrī (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Nāma-dhātu/causative sense ‘to put far away’; Ktvā-artha absolutive in -ya (gerund)

• mukhāt: from (his) mouth
• mukhāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), Pañcamī vibhakti (Abl. 5th), Ekavacana

• vastram: the cloth
• vastram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (Acc.), Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: the best of sages
• ṛṣi-sattamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa) ‘ṛṣīṇāṃ sattamaḥ’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom.), Ekavacana

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Tripura (Tripuradhisha)

FAQs

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

It marks a turning point where the sage, after hearing the lord of Tripura, unveils his face and responds—symbolically suggesting the movement from concealment to clarity, and the beginning of discerning speech that can lead the narrative toward Shiva’s supremacy over ignorance and pride.

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

Though the verse is narrative, it frames the conflict around Tripura that culminates in Shiva’s decisive act; in Saguna worship, devotees contemplate Shiva as the compassionate yet sovereign Lord who removes coverings (āvaraṇa) and restores dharma—an attitude central to Linga-bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied takeaway is inner “unveiling”: in meditation, remove mental coverings through japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and steady contemplation on Shiva as Pati, so speech and action arise from discernment rather than fear or delusion.