Shloka 44

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

Devanagari script

स्वरूपमेव भगवानास्थाय परमेश्वरः । दर्शयामास विप्राय बालेन्दु कृतशेखरम्

Transliteration

svarūpameva bhagavānāsthāya parameśvaraḥ | darśayāmāsa viprāya bālendu kṛtaśekharam

Translation

Abiding in His own true form, the Blessed Supreme Lord revealed Himself to the brāhmaṇa—wearing the crescent moon as His crest-jewel.

Word by Word

• स्व-रूपम्: his own form
• स्व-रूपम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य रूपम्)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आस्थाय: having assumed
• आस्थाय: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धातु √स्था (तिष्ठति) with आ- उपसर्ग; ‘आस्थाय’ (क्त्वान्त/gerund)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having assumed)

• परम-ईश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परम-ईश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परमश्चासौ ईश्वरः)

• दर्शयामास: showed
• दर्शयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धातु √दृश् (दर्शन) causative √दर्शय्
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• विप्राय: to the brahmin
• विप्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• बाल-इन्दु: the young moon
• बाल-इन्दु: Karma (कर्म; shown object—appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (बालश्चासौ इन्दुः = नवचन्द्रः)

• कृत-शेखरम्: with the moon as his crest
• कृत-शेखरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ) + शेखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृतः शेखरः यस्य/यत्र) = ‘having (as) a crest made/placed’; विशेषणम् (to the shown form)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s anugraha (saving grace): the Supreme (Pati) freely makes Himself knowable by revealing His own form to a worthy devotee, showing that liberation begins with divine revelation rather than mere human effort.

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

Though Śiva is ultimately beyond form, this verse affirms Saguna-darśana—Śiva appearing with attributes (moon-crested Chandrasekhara). Such forms support devotion and concentration, complementing Liṅga worship as a sacred, accessible focus of the same Supreme Reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Chandrasekhara Śiva (moon-crested) while repeating the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and perform simple abhiṣeka to the Śiva-liṅga with a devotional intent to receive Śiva’s grace and inner clarity.