Shloka 42

भैरवावतारलीलावर्णनम् (Bhairava-avatāra-līlā-varṇanam) — “Narration of the Divine Play of Bhairava’s Descent”

Devanagari script

भिक्षाटनाय देवोऽपि निरगात्परया मुदा । अन्यत्रापि महादेवो भैरवश्चात्तविग्रहः

Transliteration

bhikṣāṭanāya devo'pi niragātparayā mudā | anyatrāpi mahādevo bhairavaścāttavigrahaḥ

Translation

Then the Lord Himself set out to wander for alms, filled with supreme joy. Elsewhere too, Mahādeva assumed the embodied form of Bhairava.

Word by Word

• भिक्षाटनाय: for begging/alms-round
• भिक्षाटनाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षाटन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; neuter, dative singular (purpose)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात; particle ‘also/even’

• निरगात्: went out
• निरगात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √गम् (गम् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada; ‘went out’

• परया: with great/supreme
• परया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; feminine, instrumental singular

• मुदा: joy
• मुदा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; feminine, instrumental singular

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय; adverb ‘elsewhere’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; particle ‘also’

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular; कर्मधारयः—‘महान् देवः’

• भैरवः: Bhairava
• भैरवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैरव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात; conjunction ‘and’

• आत्तविग्रहः: having assumed (a) form
• आत्तविग्रहः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्त + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular; तत्पुरुषः—‘आत्तः विग्रहः यस्य’ (having assumed a form); ‘आत्त’ = √दा (दा धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse frames Śiva’s voluntary assumption of a mendicant mode (bhikṣāṭana) and a fierce protective mode (Bhairava), a mythic motif used in many sthala traditions to explain how the Lord tests beings, burns impurities, and sanctifies places by His roaming presence.

Significance: Darśana of Śiva as Bhikṣāṭana/Bhairava is interpreted as a grace-bestowing encounter that humbles ego and loosens pāśa (bondage) through surrender and reverence.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mahadeva
• Bhairava

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s līlā of renunciation and humility: though Pati (the Lord) is पूर्ण (complete), He adopts the mendicant path to teach detachment, and manifests as Bhairava to uphold dharma through a tangible (saguṇa) form that devotees can contemplate.

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

The verse explicitly affirms Śiva’s assumption of a form (ātta-vigraha), supporting saguṇa-upāsanā: devotees may worship Him through accessible manifestations—Bhairava, Bhikṣāṭana, and also the Liṅga as the steady symbol of the same supreme reality beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as the inner renunciant while japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”); for ritual, offer bhikṣā-like simple naivedya with humility, and remember Bhairava with reverence, optionally applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a sign of vairāgya.