Shloka 40

Kāla-vañcana (Overcoming/Outwitting Time) and the Pañcabhūta Basis of the Body

Devanagari script

दुन्दुभिं ७ शंखशब्दं ८ तु नवमं मेघगर्जितम् ९

Transliteration

dundubhiṃ 7 śaṃkhaśabdaṃ 8 tu navamaṃ meghagarjitam 9

Translation

(There arose) as the seventh, the sound of the dundubhi kettle-drum; as the eighth, the sound of the conch (śaṅkha); and as the ninth, the thunderous roaring of the clouds.

Word by Word

• दुन्दुभिम्: (sound of) a drum/dundubhi
• दुन्दुभिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ७: seven (item number)
• ७: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ७ (अव्यय/संख्या)
• Form: संख्या-चिह्न (numeral marker)

• शंखशब्दम्: the sound of a conch
• शंखशब्दम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख-शब्द (प्रातिपदिक; शंख + शब्द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ८: eight (item number)
• ८: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ८ (अव्यय/संख्या)
• Form: संख्या-चिह्न (numeral marker)

• तु: and/indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध/अन्वय (particle: but/indeed)

• नवमम्: the ninth
• नवमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• मेघगर्जितम्: thunder/roar of clouds
• मेघगर्जितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघ-गर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; मेघ + गर्जित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ९: nine (item number)
• ९: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ९ (अव्यय/संख्या)
• Form: संख्या-चिह्न (numeral marker)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: storm-thunder imagery (meghagarjita) as cosmic resonance

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse lists powerful, auspicious sounds—drum, conch, and thunder—signaling a heightened sacred atmosphere where divine presence and grace are being revealed; in Shaiva understanding, such nāda points the mind toward Shiva (Pati) and steadies devotion.

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

Conch and drum are classic temple sounds that accompany Saguna Shiva worship and pūjā to the Linga; they externalize reverence and help gather attention, aligning the devotee’s senses toward Shiva’s manifest form and sanctified space.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Use sacred sound as support for worship—begin pūjā with conch (śaṅkha) and rhythmic accompaniment, then settle into japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Shiva as the inner source of all sound (nāda).