Shloka 14

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

कोट्यग्निमुख एवागाद् गणानां गणनायकः । आदित्यमूर्द्धा कोट्या च तथा चैव घनावहः

Transliteration

koṭyagnimukha evāgād gaṇānāṃ gaṇanāyakaḥ | ādityamūrddhā koṭyā ca tathā caiva ghanāvahaḥ

Translation

Entonces llegó Koṭyagnimukha, un caudillo entre los gaṇas de Śiva. Con él arribaron Ādityamūrdhā, Koṭyā y también Ghanāvaha.

Word by Word

• koṭyagnimukhaḥ: (one) having ‘crore-fire-faces’ / Koṭyagnimukha (name)
• koṭyagnimukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi + agni + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण अव्यय)

• agāt: went/came
• agāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• gaṇānām: of the gaṇas
• gaṇānām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• gaṇanāyakaḥ: leader of the gaṇas
• gaṇanāyakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa + nāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ādityamūrddhā: Ādityamūrdhā (sun-headed; name)
• ādityamūrddhā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āditya + mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); form mūrdhā (मूर्धा)

• koṭyā: by/with a crore
• koṭyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (तथाभाववाचक अव्यय)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण अव्यय)

• ghanāvahaḥ: Ghanāvaha (cloud-bringer; name)
• ghanāvahaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghana + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s sovereign lordship (Pati) expressed through His gaṇas—divine attendants who embody His will in the cosmos—showing that Śiva’s work is carried out through ordered, conscious powers rather than randomness.

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

By naming Śiva’s gaṇas, the verse reinforces Saguna Śiva as the personal Lord attended by divine hosts; in Linga worship, devotees honor not only the formless Absolute signified by the Liṅga but also Śiva’s manifest lordly presence and His sacred entourage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is gaṇa-smaraṇa with Śiva-nāma: begin worship by invoking Śiva with the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and mentally offering respect to His gaṇas as protectors of the rite, maintaining purity, steadiness, and devotion.