Shloka 37

उपमन्यूपदेशः

Upamanyu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

दुर्वासा मुनिशार्दूलश्शिवानुग्रहतः पुरा । तस्तार स्वमतं लोके शिवभक्तिं विमुक्तिदाम्

Transliteration

durvāsā muniśārdūlaśśivānugrahataḥ purā | tastāra svamataṃ loke śivabhaktiṃ vimuktidām

Translation

Long ago, Durvāsā, the tiger among sages, by Śiva’s grace established his teaching in the world: devotion to Śiva, which bestows liberation.

Word by Word

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुनिशार्दूलः: tiger among sages (great sage)
• मुनिशार्दूलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां शार्दूलः—best among sages)

• शिव-अनुग्रहतः: due to Śiva’s grace
• शिव-अनुग्रहतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause: 'due to')

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• तस्तार: propagated/extended, carried across
• तस्तार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• स्वमतम्: his own doctrine/opinion
• स्वमतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मत (मन् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य मतम्)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• शिवभक्तिम्: devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य भक्तिः)

• विमुक्तिदाम्: liberation-giving
• विमुक्तिदाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (धातु; णिनि/द-प्रत्यय, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (विमुक्तिं ददाति या—giving liberation); 'शिवभक्तिम्' इति विशेषण

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not tied to a specific jyotirliṅga; the emphasis is on Śiva’s anugraha empowering a ṛṣi (Durvāsā) to promulgate a liberating Śiva-bhakti doctrine.

Significance: Affirms the salvific authority of Śiva-bhakti as a mokṣa-upāya when grounded in divine grace and proper teaching lineage.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Durvasa

FAQs

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

It teaches that moksha is attained through Śiva-bhakti empowered by Śiva’s anugraha (grace), and that even great sages spread true teaching only by the Lord’s blessing.

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

Śiva-bhakti in the Purāṇic context is commonly practiced through saguna upāsanā—reverence to Śiva in form, especially the Śiva-liṅga—so that the devotee becomes fit to receive Śiva’s liberating grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is steady Śiva-bhakti as a moksha-path—regular japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and liṅga-pūjā offered with surrender, seeking Śiva’s anugraha.