Shloka 14

नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”

Devanagari script

किन्तु देवेश्वरो रुद्रः प्रसीदति महेश्वरः । सुदुर्लभो मृत्युहीनस्तव पुत्रो ह्ययोनिजः

Transliteration

kintu deveśvaro rudraḥ prasīdati maheśvaraḥ | sudurlabho mṛtyuhīnastava putro hyayonijaḥ

Translation

But Rudra—the Lord of the gods, Mahēśvara—has become gracious. Therefore a son will indeed be granted to you: exceedingly rare, free from death, and not born from any womb.

Word by Word

• kintu: but, however
• kintu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kintu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction/particle (समुच्चय/विरोधसूचक)

• deveśvaraḥ: Lord of the gods
• deveśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानाम् ईश्वरः)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• prasīdati: is pleased, shows grace
• prasīdati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√sad (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• maheśvaraḥ: the Great Lord
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः (महान् ईश्वरः)

• sudurlabhaḥ: very rare, hard to obtain
• sudurlabhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); उपसर्ग/उपपद-समासवत् कर्मधारय (सु-दुर्लभः = अत्यन्तं दुर्लभः)

• mṛtyuhīnaḥ: deathless, free from death
• mṛtyuhīnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); नञ्-तत्पुरुष/अभावार्थ (मृत्यु-हीनः = मृत्यु-रहितः)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• hi: indeed, surely
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात) emphasizing/indeed

• ayonijaḥ: not womb-born, unbegotten
• ayonijaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + yonija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अ-योनिजः = योनि-जन्यः न)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Maheshvara

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as Pati (the sovereign Lord) whose compassion (prasāda) overrides limitation: when Mahēśvara is pleased, He can bestow what is otherwise impossible—an immortal, divinely-originated blessing—showing liberation and grace as ultimately dependent on Śiva.

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

Calling Rudra “Deveśvara” and “Mahēśvara” emphasizes Saguna Śiva—the approachable Lord who responds to devotion. In Linga worship, this same Mahēśvara is adored as the visible support (liṅga) through which His grace and boons manifest in the devotee’s life.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The key practice implied is śaraṇāgati and bhakti leading to prasāda—steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with simple liṅga-pūjā (water/abhisheka and bhasma/tripuṇḍra) to seek Mahēśvara’s pleasure and protection from fear of death.