Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । एष एव वरः श्लाघ्यो यदहं देक्ताधिपम् । पश्यामि त्वान्देवदेव मनोवाणी पथातिगम्

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | eṣa eva varaḥ ślāghyo yadahaṃ dektādhipam | paśyāmi tvāndevadeva manovāṇī pathātigam

Translation

Viṣṇu said: “This boon alone is truly worthy of praise—that I behold You, O God of gods, the Lord of all that is seen, who transcend the paths of mind and speech.”

Word by Word

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (demonstrative pronoun)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• varaḥ: boon
• varaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• ślāghyaḥ: praiseworthy
• ślāghyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ślāghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (varaḥ इति)

• yat: that (inasmuch as)
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यत्-शब्दः अव्ययीभूतः (correlative 'that/inasmuch as' introducing clause)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (pronoun)

• dektādhipam: the lord of (dektā-...)
• dektādhipam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dektā (प्रातिपदिक; पाठभेद/दुष्पाठ-संभवः) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः: X-अधिपः (lord of X); पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; (पाठे 'dektā' अस्पष्टः—सम्भाव्यं 'deva/daitya/veda' इत्यादि)

• paśyāmi: I see
• paśyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम्; √दृश् = to see

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• deva-deva: O God of gods
• deva-deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधनम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: देवानां देवः; पुंलिङ्गम्, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• mano-vāṇī: mind and speech
• mano-vāṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: मनः च वाणी च; स्त्रीलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, द्विवचन/एकवचन-रूपसंदेहः (पाठे 'मनोवाणी'—समास-प्रातिपदिक; अत्र विशेषणरूपेण)

• patha-atigam: beyond the reach (path)
• patha-atigam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patha (प्रातिपदिक) + atiga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः: पथम् अतिगच्छति इति (beyond the path); पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; tvām इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Vishnu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Centers darśana as the highest boon: seeing the transcendent Lord beyond mind and speech is itself salvific, aligning pilgrimage with inner realization.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse proclaims Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord—who is both the sovereign of all perception and yet transcends mind and speech, pointing to liberation through recognizing Shiva as the ultimate reality beyond conceptual limits.

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

Though Shiva is beyond mind and speech (nirguṇa), devotees approach Him through saguna supports like the Shiva-Linga, where the ineffable Supreme becomes worshipable—allowing devotion to mature into direct inner realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A key takeaway is contemplative japa and dhyāna: repeat “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while meditating on Shiva as the Lord of all perception, then rest the mind in silence beyond words—mirroring the teaching that He surpasses thought and speech.