Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

बालेन्दुवलया कारतीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रांकुरद्वयः । आखण्डलधनुःखण्डसंनिभभ्रूलतान्वितः

Transliteration

bālenduvalayā kāratīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrāṃkuradvayaḥ | ākhaṇḍaladhanuḥkhaṇḍasaṃnibhabhrūlatānvitaḥ

Translation

He bears ornaments shaped like the crescent moon; from His mouth rise two sprouting fangs, sharp as a saw. His arched eyebrows resemble the broken fragment of Indra’s bow—marking the Lord’s formidable, saguna manifestation that subdues impurity and protects devotees.

Word by Word

• बालेन्दु-वलयः: (having) a circlet of the young moon
• बालेन्दु-वलयः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणार्थे (as epithet)

• कार-तीक्ष्ण-दंष्ट्रा-अङ्कुर-द्वयः: having a pair of sharp tusk-like sprouts
• कार-तीक्ष्ण-दंष्ट्रा-अङ्कुर-द्वयः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार (प्रातिपदिक) + तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कुर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वय) with descriptive members; अर्थः: (दंष्ट्रा-अङ्कुरयोः) द्वयम्

• आखण्डल-धनुः-खण्ड-संनिभ-भ्रूलता-अन्वितः: possessing eyebrow-creepers resembling a fragment of Indra’s bow
• आखण्डल-धनुः-खण्ड-संनिभ-भ्रूलता-अन्वितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आखण्डल (प्रातिपदिक) + धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिभ (प्रातिपदिक) + भ्रू (प्रातिपदिक) + लता (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासार्थः: आखण्डलधनुःखण्डवत् संनिभा भ्रूलता यस्य सः (बहुव्रीह्यर्थ-छाया), अन्वितः = युक्तः

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Kālabhairava

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Indra

FAQs

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

The verse portrays Shiva’s protective, awe-inspiring saguna aspect: the crescent-like ornament signifies transcendence over time, while the sharp twin fangs and bow-like brows indicate His power to cut through mala (impurity) and subdue forces that obstruct the devotee’s liberation.

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

While the Linga points to Shiva’s nirguna, formless reality, this verse supports saguna upasana—steady contemplation of His divine attributes and iconography—helping the mind become one-pointed and devotional, which Shaiva tradition holds as a gateway to realizing the Linga’s inner, formless truth.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Dhyana (meditative visualization) of Rudra’s form while reciting the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” ideally with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudraksha, cultivating fearlessness and purity of mind.