Shloka 16

उपमन्युकुमारस्य क्षीरार्थ-प्रार्थना तथा शिवप्रसाद-निबन्धनम् | Upamanyu’s Longing for Milk and the Doctrine of Shiva’s Grace

Devanagari script

तत्रावाह्य शिवं साम्बं भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेण ह । पत्रपुष्पादिभिर्वन्यैस्समानर्च शिशुः स वै

Transliteration

tatrāvāhya śivaṃ sāmbaṃ bhaktyā pañcākṣareṇa ha | patrapuṣpādibhirvanyaissamānarca śiśuḥ sa vai

Translation

There, with devotion, he invoked Sambā Śiva together with Ambā through the five-syllabled mantra, and that child worshipped Him properly with forest-offerings such as leaves and flowers.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• आवाह्य: having invoked
• आवाह्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√वह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), परस्मैपदी; ‘having invoked/brought near’

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• साम्बम्: Sāmba (Śiva with Umā)
• साम्बम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet of Śiva: ‘with Umā’)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• पञ्चाक्षरेण: with the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्चाक्षरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगुसमास (पञ्च अक्षराणि यस्य तत्)

• ह: indeed
• ह: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle; emphasis)

• पत्रपुष्पादिभिः: with leaves, flowers, etc.
• पत्रपुष्पादिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र + पुष्प + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (leaves, flowers, etc.) + ‘ādi’

• वन्यैः: wild (forest)
• वन्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying offerings: ‘wild/forest-born’)

• सम्: together/fully (preverb)
• सम्: Upasarga (उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb) used with √अर्च्

• आनर्च: worshipped
• आनर्च: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शिशुः: the child
• शिशुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse depicts āvāhana and worship of Sāmba-Śiva (Śiva with Ambā), a template for kṣetra-pūjā across liṅga shrines; not a specific Jyotirliṅga legend.

Significance: Affirms that even simple forest offerings, when joined to Pañcākṣarī-bhakti and proper invocation, yield Śiva’s grace—key Siddhānta emphasis on bhakti + kriyā.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (namaḥ śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere bhakti, expressed through the Panchakshara mantra and simple offerings, is sufficient to invoke and please Śiva; purity of devotion matters more than luxury.

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

The act of “invoking” Śiva indicates Saguna upāsanā—approaching the Lord in a worshipable form (often the Liṅga in practice), made present through mantra and devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-japa of the Panchakshara (Namaḥ Śivāya) while performing simple Shiva-pūjā with leaves and flowers—an accessible sādhanā suitable even without elaborate materials.