Shloka 11

Devanagari script

एकस्मिन्समये शंभुर्विजहार सुलीलया । कौतुकेनैव चिक्रीडे शिवा कन्दुकलीलया

Transliteration

ekasminsamaye śaṃbhurvijahāra sulīlayā | kautukenaiva cikrīḍe śivā kandukalīlayā

Translation

At one time, Śambhu sported about in a most charming and effortless play. Out of sheer delight, Śivā too played with Him in the pastime of tossing a ball.

Word by Word

• एकस्मिन्: in one
• एकस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण समये इति

• समये: at a time/occasion
• समये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन (Singular)

• शम्भुः: Shambhu (Shiva)
• शम्भुः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular)

• विजहार: played/sported
• विजहार: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• सु-लीलया: with graceful play
• सु-लीलया: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन (Singular)

• कौतुकena: out of curiosity/playfulness
• कौतुकena: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• चिक्रीडे: played
• चिक्रीडे: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्काल); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

• शिवा: Shiva (Goddess)
• शिवा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन (Singular)

• कन्दुक-लीलया: with ball-play
• कन्दुक-लीलया: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument/Mode)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दुक (प्रातिपदिक) + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It portrays the Saguna (personal) aspect of Pati (Śiva) with Śakti (Śivā/Pārvatī), showing that the Lord’s līlā is not worldly attachment but a compassionate, accessible mode through which devotees cultivate loving devotion and inner purity.

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

The verse supports Saguna-upāsanā: meditating on Śiva’s divine qualities and līlās. Such remembrance naturally matures into reverence for the Liṅga as the steady, formless-symbolic presence of the same Śiva beyond play—Nirguṇa realized through Saguna devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Līlā-smaraṇa (devotional recollection) with japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—is the key takeaway; one may combine it with calm dhyāna on Śiva-Śakti unity to steady the mind and turn delight into bhakti.