Shloka 13

ब्रह्माण्डदान-प्रशंसा तथा ब्रह्माण्ड-प्रमाण-वर्णनम्

Praise of the Gift of the Cosmic Egg and Description of the Brahmāṇḍa’s Measure

Devanagari script

शिरःसाहस्रयुक्तस्स सर्वा विद्योतयन्दिशः । फणामणिसहस्रेण स्वस्तिकामलभूषणः

Transliteration

śiraḥsāhasrayuktassa sarvā vidyotayandiśaḥ | phaṇāmaṇisahasreṇa svastikāmalabhūṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Endowed with a thousand heads, he illuminated all the directions. Adorned with thousands of hood-jewels, he was ornamented with auspicious svastika-marks and lotus-like emblems—radiant with divine splendor.

Word by Word

• śiraḥ-sahasra-yuktaḥ: endowed with a thousand heads
• śiraḥ-sahasra-yuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी/बहुव्रीहि-सदृश प्रयोग: ‘endowed with a thousand heads’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vidyotayan: illuminating
• vidyotayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vidyotay (धातु; causative of √dyut)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• diśaḥ: directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• phaṇā-maṇi-sahasreṇa: with a thousand hood-jewels
• phaṇā-maṇi-sahasreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phaṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘with a thousand hood-jewels’

• svastikā-mala-bhūṣaṇaḥ: ornamented with svastika-garlands
• svastikā-mala-bhūṣaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svastikā (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘having svastika-garlands as ornament’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; the imagery (thousand heads, illumination of directions, serpent-hood jewels) functions as a cosmic-viśvarūpa style description of Śiva’s all-pervasive sovereignty.

Significance: Contemplation of Śiva as dig-vyāpaka (pervading all directions) supports dhyāna and reduces directional fear/inauspiciousness (dik-doṣa) in devotional psychology.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It portrays Shiva’s vast, all-pervading sovereignty in a Saguna (manifest) form—his radiance illumines every direction, teaching that the Lord is the inner light that dispels ignorance and reveals the path to liberation.

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

While the Linga points to the formless (Nirguna) reality, such descriptions support Saguna-upasana: devotees may meditate on Shiva’s cosmic majesty and auspicious marks, using form as a doorway to the Formless.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is Shiva-dhyana: visualize Shiva as the radiant Lord filling all directions, and pair it with japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” especially during Mahashivratri worship.