Shloka 26

एकोनविंशतिशिवावतारवर्णनम्

Description of the Nineteen Manifestations/Avatāras of Śiva

Devanagari script

तत्रैव हिमवत्पृष्ठे अट्टहासो महागिरिः । देवमानुषयक्षेन्द्रसिद्धचारणसेवितः

Transliteration

tatraiva himavatpṛṣṭhe aṭṭahāso mahāgiriḥ | devamānuṣayakṣendrasiddhacāraṇasevitaḥ

Translation

There itself, upon the back of Himavat, stands the great mountain called Aṭṭahāsa—revered and frequented by the gods, by human beings, by the lords of the Yakṣas, and by the Siddhas and Cāraṇas.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘there’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) — emphasis ‘indeed/just’

• हिमवत्-पृष्ठे: on Himavat’s slope/back
• हिमवत्-पृष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘on the back/slope of Himavat’

• अट्टहासः: Aṭṭahāsa
• अट्टहासः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अट्टहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — proper name

• महागिरिः: a great mountain
• महागिरिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — कर्मधारय: ‘great mountain’

• देव-मानुष-यक्ष-इन्द्र-सिद्ध-चारण-सेवितः: served by gods, humans, Yakṣas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas
• देव-मानुष-यक्ष-इन्द्र-सिद्ध-चारण-सेवितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + मानुष + यक्ष + इन्द्र + सिद्ध + चारण + सेवित (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘served/attended by’ (सेवित = past passive participle, क्त) by gods, humans, Yakṣa-lords, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha

Sthala Purana: A Himalayan mahāgiri revered by devas and siddhas mirrors Kedāra-kṣetra’s portrayal as a trans-human pilgrimage field; this verse specifically names the mountain Aṭṭahāsa rather than Kedāra, but the Himalayan sacred-mountain typology aligns.

Significance: Kṣetra where devas, humans, yakṣas, siddhas, and cāraṇas converge—signifying heightened puṇya and accessibility to Śiva’s presence.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kṣetra as meeting-point of multiple lokas (deva/manuṣya/yakṣa/siddha/cāraṇa), implying thin veil between worlds

Characters & Entities

• Himavat
• Yakshas
• Siddhas
• Charanas
• Devas

FAQs

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

It sanctifies a Himalayan locus (Aṭṭahāsa on Himavat) as a divinely frequented tirtha, implying that proximity to such Shaiva sacred geography supports purification, devotion, and readiness for Shiva’s grace.

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

By highlighting a revered sacred landscape visited by celestial beings, the verse frames the Himalayas as a natural seat for Saguna Shiva worship—places where devotees traditionally establish or approach Shiva-lingas and perform darśana, japa, and pūjā with heightened faith.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pilgrimage-oriented Shiva sadhana: perform Om Namaḥ Śivāya japa, offer water and bilva to a Shiva-linga (if present), and maintain purity with ash (tripuṇḍra) and disciplined conduct while in the tirtha environment.