Shloka 1

सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Cosmogony and the Roles of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । श्रुतं मे महदाख्यानं यत्त्वया परिकीर्तितम् । सनत्कुमारकालेयसंवादं परमार्थदम्

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | śrutaṃ me mahadākhyānaṃ yattvayā parikīrtitam | sanatkumārakāleyasaṃvādaṃ paramārthadam

Translation

Śaunaka said: I have heard the great sacred narrative that you have recounted—the dialogue between Sanatkumāra and Kāleya, which bestows the highest truth.

Word by Word

• शौनकः: Śaunaka
• शौनकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘मया श्रुतम्’ (understood)

• मे: by me
• मे: Karta (कर्ता/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन (enclitic)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; विशेषण (आख्यानम्)

• आख्यानम्: narrative; account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिकीर्तितम्: fully recounted; proclaimed
• परिकीर्तितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि√कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘आख्यानम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• सनत्कुमार: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमार: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग/Compound member)
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: सनत् + कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/नामसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• कालेय: Kāleya
• कालेय: Samasa-anga (समासाङ्ग/Compound member)
• Type: Proper Noun
• Root: कालेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद)

• संवादम्: dialogue
• संवादम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सनत्कुमार-कालेययोः संवादः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमार्थदम्: bestowing the highest truth
• परमार्थदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमार्थ + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (परमार्थं ददाति इति); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘संवादम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Shaunaka

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Kaleya
• Shaunaka

FAQs

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

It frames the teaching as “paramārtha”—a liberating instruction aimed at the highest reality, preparing the listener for Shaiva insight into the Supreme (Pati) and the path to moksha.

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

By honoring a guru-to-seeker dialogue that yields the highest truth, it supports the Shiva Purana’s method: Saguna worship (including Linga-bhakti) as a doorway to realizing Shiva’s supreme principle.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse emphasizes śravaṇa (devout listening) to Shaiva teachings; as a takeaway, one may pair such listening with japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to internalize the paramārtha.