Shloka 17
Daśa-Śivāvatāra-Nirūpaṇa
Enumeration of Ten Prime Manifestations of Śiva with Their Śaktis
इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे तृतीयायां शतरुद्रसंहितायां शिवदशावतारवर्णनं नाम सप्तदशोऽध्यायः
iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe tṛtīyāyāṃ śatarudrasaṃhitāyāṃ śivadaśāvatāravarṇanaṃ nāma saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ
Thus ends the seventeenth chapter, entitled “The Description of Shiva’s Ten Incarnations,” in the third section of the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, the Śatarudra Saṃhitā.
Suta Goswami (traditional Purāṇic narrator concluding the chapter to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
FAQs
This is a colophon marking the completion of a chapter; spiritually, it frames the teaching as a complete unit—Shiva’s many avatāras are presented to steady devotion toward Pati (Shiva) as the supreme Lord who compassionately assumes forms to guide beings toward moksha.
By naming the chapter on Shiva’s avatāras, it reinforces Saguna-upāsanā—approaching the Nirguna Supreme through accessible forms. In Shaiva Siddhanta, such forms culminate in Linga worship as the universal, non-sectarian emblem of Shiva’s presence.
As a chapter-ending marker, it implies consolidation: recite the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplate Shiva’s compassionate manifestations, and conclude with a brief offering (water, bilva leaves, or vibhūti/Tripuṇḍra) as a devotional seal to the teaching.