Shloka 48

Kṛṣṇādi-Śivabhaktoddhāraṇa & Śiva-māhātmya-varṇana

Deliverance of Krishna and other devotees; Description of Shiva’s Greatness

Devanagari script

उपमन्युरुवाच । भगवाञ्शंकरः पूर्वं ब्रह्मलोके महात्मना । स्तुतो नामसहस्रेण दण्डिना ब्रह्मयोगिना

Transliteration

upamanyuruvāca | bhagavāñśaṃkaraḥ pūrvaṃ brahmaloke mahātmanā | stuto nāmasahasreṇa daṇḍinā brahmayoginā

Translation

Upamanyu said: Formerly, in Brahmaloka, the Blessed Lord Śaṅkara was praised by the great-souled sage Daṇḍin, knower of Brahman and yogin, through a thousand divine Names.

Word by Word

• उपमन्युः: Upamanyu
• उपमन्युः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपमन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular; honorific title

• शंकरः: Śaṅkara
• शंकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular; in apposition to ‘भगवान्’

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया एकवचन) meaning ‘formerly’

• ब्रह्मलोके: in Brahmaloka
• ब्रह्मलोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th—सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘in Brahmā’s world’

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd—तृतीया), Singular

• स्तुतः: was praised
• स्तुतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st—प्रथमा), Singular; predicate participle

• नामसहस्रेण: with (a hymn of) a thousand names
• नामसहस्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd—तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘with a thousand names’

• दण्डिना: by the staff-bearing (ascetic)
• दण्डिना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd—तृतीया), Singular

• ब्रह्मयोगिना: by the Brahma-yogin
• ब्रह्मयोगिना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd—तृतीया), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘by the Brahma-yogin’

Speaker

Upamanyu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shankara
• Dandin
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It establishes nāma-stuti (praising Shiva through His thousand Names) as a direct devotional-yogic means to approach Pati (Shiva), showing that even in Brahmaloka the highest praise culminates in Shiva-bhakti and Shiva-realization.

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

A sahasranāma is a Saguna approach—invoking Shiva’s auspicious qualities and forms through Names—yet it points to His Nirguna supremacy, since the ‘brahma-yogin’ praises Shiva as the ultimate reality beyond even Brahmaloka.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular recitation of Shiva Sahasranāma (nāma-japa) with yogic steadiness—ideally alongside Shaiva disciplines like Panchakshara japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), Tripuṇḍra (bhasma), and Rudrāksha—aligning devotion with inner meditation.