Shloka 6

युद्धप्रस्थान-वर्णनम्

Departure to the Battlefield and the Śaiva Overlordship over the Devas

Devanagari script

प्रणवाकारमाद्यंतं पंचमंडलमंडितम् । आरुरोह रथं भद्र मंबिकापतिरीश्वरः । ससूनुगणमिंद्रा द्याः सर्वेप्यनुययुः सुराः

Transliteration

praṇavākāramādyaṃtaṃ paṃcamaṃḍalamaṃḍitam | āruroha rathaṃ bhadra maṃbikāpatirīśvaraḥ | sasūnugaṇamiṃdrā dyāḥ sarvepyanuyayuḥ surāḥ

Translation

O noble one, Lord Īśvara—the Consort of Ambika—mounted a chariot whose form was like the sacred Praṇava (Oṁ), adorned with five circular emblems. Indra and the other gods, together with their sons and attendant hosts, all followed after Him.

Word by Word

• praṇava-ākāram: having the form of praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-ākāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• ādya-antam: with beginning and end (from start to finish)
• ādya-antam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (singular); (आद्य + अन्त) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व, विशेषण

• pañca-maṇḍala-maṇḍitam: adorned with five circles/discs
• pañca-maṇḍala-maṇḍitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण

• āruroha: mounted, ascended
• āruroha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• ratham: chariot
• ratham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• bhadra: O auspicious one / O noble one
• bhadra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), संबोधनार्थक-निपात (vocative particle/interjection)

• ambikā-patiḥ: the husband/lord of Ambikā
• ambikā-patiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambikā (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); apposition to ambikā-patiḥ

• sa-sūnu-gaṇam: together with sons and retinue
• sa-sūnu-gaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + sūnu (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (सह-सम्बन्ध: ‘with sons/offspring and retinue’)

• indrādayaḥ: Indra and others
• indrādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), निपात (particle)

• anuyayuḥ: followed
• anuyayuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-yā (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• surāḥ: gods
• surāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: The Praṇava-shaped chariot adorned with five maṇḍalas evokes Śiva as Viśveśvara: the Lord whose vehicle is Oṃ (the śabda-brahman sign) and whose fivefold power (pañcakṛtya / pañcabrahma) governs the cosmos; the devas follow as subordinate powers.

Significance: Meditating on Viśvanātha as Praṇava-svarūpa and pañca-maṇḍala-maṇḍita supports mantra-bhāvanā and surrender: all deities and their retinues ‘follow’ the supreme Lord.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: praṇavākāram (Oṃ-svarūpa) — implicit Praṇava reference rather than a full mantra quotation

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Indra
• Devas

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Shiva as Īśvara (Pati), the supreme guide of the devas, and presents Praṇava (Oṁ) as His emblem—pointing to Shiva as the inner source of mantra, consciousness, and auspicious protection.

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

By describing Shiva in a majestic, followable form (Ambikāpati, Īśvara) and linking Him with Oṁ, the verse supports Saguna worship (devotional contemplation of Shiva’s form) while grounding it in the mantra-principle that also underlies Linga worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Praṇava (Oṁ) as Shiva’s presence and pair it with japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a focused practice for purity, protection, and steady devotion.