Shloka 4

दक्षस्य यज्ञप्रवृत्तिः तथा ईश्वरवर्जितदेवसमागमः

Dakṣa’s Sacrificial Undertaking and the Devas’ Assembly without Īśvara

Devanagari script

वैवस्वते ऽंतरे प्राप्ते दक्षः प्राचेतसः स्वयम् । अश्वमेधेन यज्ञेन यक्ष्यमाणो ऽन्वपद्यत

Transliteration

vaivasvate 'ṃtare prāpte dakṣaḥ prācetasaḥ svayam | aśvamedhena yajñena yakṣyamāṇo 'nvapadyata

Translation

When the Vaivasvata Manvantara arrived, Dakṣa, son of Pracetā, himself set about the sacred sacrifice, desiring to perform the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice).

Word by Word

• वैवस्वते: in (the period of) Vaivasvata
• वैवस्वते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative setting)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• अन्तरे: in the interval / in the Manvantara
• अन्तरे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), एकवचनम्; ‘अन्तरे’ = in the interval/manvantara

• प्राप्ते: when (it) had arrived
• प्राप्ते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa; temporal locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘प्राप्ते’ = when (it) had come/arrived

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचनम्

• प्राचेतसः: son of Pracetas
• प्राचेतसः: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to दक्षः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राचेतस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (patronymic)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: कर्ता (Karta; emphatic to subject)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकार/स्वतन्त्र-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: oneself)

• अश्वमेधेन: by the Aśvamedha
• अश्वमेधेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचनम्; समासः: अश्व + मेध (तत्पुरुषः)

• यज्ञेन: by (a) sacrifice
• यज्ञेन: करण (Karaṇa; means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यक्ष्यमाणः: intending to perform (the sacrifice)
• यक्ष्यमाणः: कर्ता (Karta; qualifying Dakṣa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यज् (धातु) → यक्ष्यमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भविष्यत्कालिकः कर्मणि वर्तमानकृदन्तः (future passive participle/शतृ-प्रायः, ‘to be sacrificed/going to sacrifice’), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि अर्थे ‘about to perform sacrifice’

• अन्वपद्यत: he undertook / proceeded
• अन्वपद्यत: क्रिया (Verb; action of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Manvantara marker situates the Dakṣa-yajña cycle in cosmic chronology; no direct Jyotirliṅga origin is stated in this verse.

Significance: Didactic: highlights how ritual ambition (yajña-kāma) can become pāśa (bondage) when divorced from devotion to Pati (Śiva).

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Vaivasvata Manvantara (current manvantara) explicitly referenced

Characters & Entities

• Daksha
• Vaivasvata Manu

FAQs

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

It introduces Dakṣa’s turn toward grand ritual power (Aśvamedha) in the Vaivasvata age—setting the stage for the Purāṇa’s Shaiva teaching that outer yajña becomes spiritually complete only when aligned with reverence to Pati (Śiva), not driven by self-importance.

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

Though the verse speaks of Vedic sacrifice, the Vāyavīya section repeatedly frames ritual success as dependent on honoring Śiva as the inner Lord of all rites; Linga/Saguṇa-Śiva worship represents that inward surrender which sanctifies external observances.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to pair any ritual action with Shaiva orientation—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and humility—so the ‘yajña’ becomes an inner offering rather than mere display of merit.