Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 55

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

उपमन्युरुवाच । प्रसीद देवदेवेश प्रसीद परमेश्वर । स्वभक्तिन्देहि परमान्दिव्यामव्यभिचारिणीम्

Transliteration

upamanyuruvāca | prasīda devadeveśa prasīda parameśvara | svabhaktindehi paramāndivyāmavyabhicāriṇīm

Translation

Upamanyu said: “Be gracious, O Lord of the gods; be gracious, O Supreme Lord. Grant me devotion to You Yourself—supreme, divine, and unwavering, never straying from You.”

Word by Word

• उपमन्युः: Upamanyu
• उपमन्युः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपमन्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• प्रसीद: be gracious / be pleased
• प्रसीद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सद् (धातु) + प्र- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• देवदेवेश: O Lord of the God of gods / O supreme Lord
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः; तस्य ईशः/ईशः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• प्रसीद: be gracious
• प्रसीद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सद् (धातु) + प्र- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• परमेश्वर: O Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (परमः ईश्वरः), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• स्वभक्तिम्: devotion to you / true devotion
• स्वभक्तिम्: Karma (कर्म) — देहि का कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य भक्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• देहि: grant/give
• देहि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (कर्म) — विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भक्तिṃ-विशेषण

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Karma (कर्म) — विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भक्तिṃ-विशेषण

• अव्यभिचारिणीम्: unfailing/steadfast (not deviating)
• अव्यभिचारिणीम्: Karma (कर्म) — विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यभिचारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; a- + व्यभिचारिन्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भक्तिṃ-विशेषण

Speaker

Upamanyu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: prasīda devadeveśa prasīda parameśvara | svabhaktiṃ dehi paramāṃ divyām avyabhicāriṇīm ||

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse presents bhakti itself as Shiva’s grace: the devotee asks not for worldly boons, but for supreme, divine, unwavering devotion that binds the soul (paśu) to Pati (Shiva) and becomes a direct means toward liberation.

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

The prayer is addressed to Parameśvara as the personal Lord who responds to devotion; in Shiva Purana practice, such exclusive bhakti is commonly expressed through reverent Linga worship—seeing the Linga as the accessible, grace-bestowing form of Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to cultivate avyabhicāriṇī-bhakti through steady japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and daily Shiva-pūjā, keeping the mind from straying and repeatedly returning it to Shiva.