Shloka 12

Manvantarāṇukīrtana

Enumeration of the Manvantaras and Manus

Devanagari script

स्वायंभुवस्य पुत्रास्ते मनोर्दश महात्मनः । कीर्तिता मुनिशार्दूल तत्रेन्द्रो यज्ञ उच्यते

Transliteration

svāyaṃbhuvasya putrāste manordaśa mahātmanaḥ | kīrtitā muniśārdūla tatrendro yajña ucyate

Translation

O tiger among sages, those ten great-souled sons of Svāyambhuva Manu have been described. Among them, the one who is called Indra is known by the name Yajña.

Word by Word

• svāyaṃbhuvasya: of Svāyaṃbhuva (Manu)
• svāyaṃbhuvasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāyaṃbhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• putrāḥ: sons
• putrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• te: those
• te: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; demonstrative pronoun

• manoḥ: of Manu
• manoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Saṅkhyā (संख्या/Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: Numeral adjective; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural agreement with putrāḥ (indeclinable-like numeral form)

• mahātmanaḥ: great-souled
• mahātmanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; adjective qualifying putrāḥ

• kīrtitāḥ: have been proclaimed
• kīrtitāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (धातु) → kīrtita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; Past Passive Participle (क्त) agreeing with putrāḥ; passive sense ‘have been mentioned’

• muni-śārdūla: O tiger among sages
• muni-śārdūla: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; संबोधन; समास: कर्मधारय ‘muniḥ śārdūla iva’ (tiger among sages)

• tatra: there, among them
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place/context (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• indraḥ: Indra
• indraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• yajñaḥ: (named) Yajña
• yajñaḥ: Pradhāna-nāma (प्रधाननाम/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate nominative (नामधातु-सम्बन्ध)

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथम), Singular; Ātmanepada; passive meaning ‘is called’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Characters & Entities

• Svayambhuva Manu
• Indra
• Yajña

FAQs

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

It links cosmic governance to dharma: even the station of Indra is connected with yajña (sacred offering), implying that order in the worlds is sustained by righteous duty aligned with the Divine—ultimately under Shiva’s supreme lordship.

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

By identifying Yajña with Indra, the text highlights that external rites have a divine principle behind them; in Shaiva reading, such rites become fruitful when offered to Saguna Shiva (often through Linga worship) with devotion rather than mere formalism.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice offering-actions-as-yajña: perform daily duties as an inner sacrifice, and when doing puja or homa, dedicate the fruits to Shiva while repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a steady, devotional mind.