Shloka 4

दुर्वाससः तपः-प्रभावः तथा देवाः ब्रह्म-विष्ण्वोः शरणागमनम् | Durvāsā’s Tapas and the Devas’ Appeal to Brahmā and Viṣṇu

Devanagari script

प्राणानायम्य विधिवन्निर्विन्ध्यातटिनीतटे । तपश्चचार सुमहदद्वन्द्वोऽब्दशतम्मुनिः

Transliteration

prāṇānāyamya vidhivannirvindhyātaṭinītaṭe | tapaścacāra sumahadadvandvo'bdaśatammuniḥ

Translation

Having regulated his life-breath through prāṇāyāma according to the prescribed discipline, the sage performed exceedingly great austerities on the bank of the river Nirvindhyā—free from the pairs of opposites—for a full hundred years.

Word by Word

• प्राणान्: breaths
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• आयम्य: having restrained
• आयम्य: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यम् (धातु) + ल्यप् → आयम्य (कृदन्त-अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): ‘having restrained’

• विधिवत्: properly
• विधिवत्: Prakaraṇa (प्रकरण/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय; तद्धित)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (according to rule)

• निर्विन्ध्यातटिनीतटे: on the bank of the river Nirvindhyā
• निर्विन्ध्यातटिनीतटे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्विन्ध्या-तटिनी-तट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्विन्ध्यायाः तटिन्याः तटे)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• चकार: performed
• चकार: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (अतिशयेन महत्)

• अद्वन्द्वः: free from pairs of opposites
• अद्वन्द्वः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारान्त-विशेषण (free from dualities)

• अब्दशतम्: a hundred years
• अब्दशतम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द-शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कालपरिमाण), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (शतं अब्दानाम्)

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Tapas on the Nirvindhyā riverbank: a classic purāṇic setup where sustained yogic discipline at a tīrtha draws divine response.

Significance: Tīrtha + prāṇāyāma + advaṃdva-tapas is portrayed as a purifier of pāśa (mala/karma), making the aspirant fit for īśvara-anugraha.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that steadfast tapas supported by disciplined prāṇāyāma and an advandva mind (equanimity beyond opposites) purifies the bound soul (paśu) and makes it fit to receive Shiva’s grace, the true cause of liberation in Shaiva Siddhanta.

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

Such sustained austerity and breath-discipline are presented as inner worship that prepares the devotee for Saguna Shiva-upāsanā—steady contemplation, mantra-japa, and reverent service to the Linga—so devotion becomes unwavering rather than mood-dependent.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse directly points to prāṇāyāma done विधिवत् (as per rule) and tapas with equanimity; in Shiva Purana practice this is typically paired with Shiva-mantra japa (especially the Panchakshara), along with purity disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where appropriate.