Shloka 51

वीरभद्र-भैरव-आह्वानम् — Invocation of Vīrabhadra/Bhairava for Cosmic Reabsorption

Devanagari script

दग्धोसि पश्य शूलाग्रे विष्वक्सेनच्छलाद्भवान् । दक्षयज्ञे शिरश्छिन्नं मया तेजःस्वरूपिणा

Transliteration

dagdhosi paśya śūlāgre viṣvaksenacchalādbhavān | dakṣayajñe śiraśchinnaṃ mayā tejaḥsvarūpiṇā

Translation

“You have been burnt—look!—and now you are fixed upon the tip of my trident, because of your deceit involving Viṣvaksena. In Dakṣa’s sacrifice too, I—whose very nature is blazing divine radiance—severed the head.”

Word by Word

• dagdhaḥ: burnt
• dagdhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dah (धातु) (दग्ध)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत/क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicative with asi

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• paśya: see!
• paśya: Kriyā (क्रिया/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person, Singular

• śūla-agre: on the tip of the trident
• śūla-agre: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūla (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शूलस्य अग्रे)

• viṣvak-sena-chalāt: because of Viṣvaksena’s pretext/trick
• viṣvak-sena-chalāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान/ablative cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣvak (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + sena (प्रातिपदिक) + chala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विष्वक्सेनस्य छलात्)

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; honorific 2nd-person pronoun

• dakṣa-yajñe: in Dakṣa’s sacrifice
• dakṣa-yajñe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (दक्षस्य यज्ञे)

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; here object with chinnam (accusative sense)

• chinnam: cut off
• chinnam: Karma (कर्म/predicate to object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (धातु) (छिन्न)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत/क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular; agrees with śiraḥ

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karaṇa (करण/agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 1st-person pronoun, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• tejaḥ-svarūpiṇā: by (me) of radiant nature
• tejaḥ-svarūpiṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; adjective qualifying mayā (‘by me who am of the nature of brilliance’); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तेजसः स्वरूपम् यस्य)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Rudra)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Alludes to the Dakṣa-yajña episode where Rudra’s fiery tejas disrupts the sacrifice and punishes adharma; not tied to a specific jyotirliṅga in this verse.

Significance: Remembrance of Rudra’s supremacy over ritualism devoid of devotion; inspires surrender (śaraṇāgati) beyond mere karma-kāṇḍa.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Daksha
• Vishvaksena

FAQs

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

The verse presents Rudra as tejaḥ-svarūpa—pure transforming power—who burns deceit and ego. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, this fierce act is also grace: it removes adharmic obstruction so the soul can turn toward Śiva, the Pati (Lord).

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

It highlights Saguna Śiva as the active divine who protects dharma and corrects transgression. Remembering such leelas during Linga worship strengthens bhakti and surrender, seeing Śiva’s severity as compassionate guidance rather than mere anger.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Rudra’s tejas while chanting the Panchakshara mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), offering bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and cultivating truthfulness (satya) and non-deceit as inner vrata—since deceit is shown as spiritually destructive.