Shloka 45

Vṛṣeśākhya-Śivāvatāra and the Initiation of the Kṣīrasāgara-Manthana

Churning of the Milk Ocean

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे विष्णु ददर्शामृतसम्भवाः । कान्ताः पूर्णेन्दुवदना दिव्यलावण्यगर्विताः

Transliteration

etasminnantare viṣṇu dadarśāmṛtasambhavāḥ | kāntāḥ pūrṇenduvadanā divyalāvaṇyagarvitāḥ

Translation

Just then, Viṣṇu beheld the enchanting maidens born of amṛta—full-moon-faced, radiant, and proud of their divine beauty.

Word by Word

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• antare: in the interval, meanwhile
• antare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्/perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• amṛta-sambhavāḥ: born of nectar
• amṛta-sambhavāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amṛta + sambhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); agrees with kāntāḥ; समास: अमृत + सम्भव = ‘born from nectar’ (पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष sense)

• kāntāḥ: beloved women, beauties
• kāntāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन) (object of dadarśa)

• pūrṇendu-vadanāḥ: with faces like the full moon
• pūrṇendu-vadanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa + indu + vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); bahuvrīhi: ‘whose face is like the full moon’ (पूर्णेन्दुः इव वदनं यस्याः)

• divya-lāvaṇya-garvitāḥ: proud of divine beauty
• divya-lāvaṇya-garvitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya + lāvaṇya + garvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); समास: दिव्य + लावण्य + गर्वित = ‘proud of divine beauty’ (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Aftermath of amṛta-emergence motif; devas’ prosperity becomes a cause for delusion and imbalance

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how even exalted beings encounter the allure of divine beauty; from a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such splendor belongs to māyā and becomes spiritually meaningful when it prompts viveka (discernment) and turning the mind toward Pati (Śiva), the transcendental Lord beyond fascination.

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

By contrasting captivating, sense-pleasing forms with the higher goal, the narrative implicitly directs devotion toward Saguna Śiva (worshipped as the Liṅga) as the stabilizing focus that leads beyond attraction and pride into bhakti and inner purity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is sense-restraint supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and steady Liṅga-dhyāna; these cultivate detachment from fleeting allure and re-center awareness in Śiva.