Shloka 2

कैलासगमनं कुबेरसख्यं च — Śiva’s Journey to Kailāsa and His Friendship with Kubera

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । कदागतो हि कैलासं शंकरो भक्तवत्सलः । क्व वा सखित्वं तस्यासीत्कुबेरेण महात्मना

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | kadāgato hi kailāsaṃ śaṃkaro bhaktavatsalaḥ | kva vā sakhitvaṃ tasyāsītkubereṇa mahātmanā

Translation

Nārada dit : «Quand Śaṅkara, si tendre envers Ses dévots, vint-Il au Kailāsa ? Et où, et comment, naquit Son amitié avec Kubera, l’âme magnanime ?»

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदा: when
• कदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of time)

• आगतः: came/arrived
• आगतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• कैलासम्: to Kailasa
• कैलासम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• शंकरः: Shankara (Shiva)
• शंकरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भक्तवत्सलः: affectionate to devotees
• भक्तवत्सलः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: भक्तानां वत्सलः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of शंकरः)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण/locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or/indeed)

• सखित्वम्: friendship
• सखित्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखित्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुबेरेण: with Kubera
• कुबेरेण: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/associate; instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुबेर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महात्मना: great-souled
• महात्मना: Sahakāraka-anvaya (सहकारक-विशेषण/instrumental qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् आत्मा यस्य/महान् आत्मा = महात्मा), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of कुबेरेण)

Speaker

Narada

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha

Sthala Purana: The question presumes Śaṅkara’s Himalayan residence; Kedāra-kṣetra traditions identify the Himalayas as a privileged locus of Śiva’s presence and tapas, aligning with the Kailāsa motif.

Significance: Pilgrimage to the Himalayan Śiva-seat is associated with purification and strengthening bhakti (bhaktavātsalya) through hardship and surrender.

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Shiva
• Shankara
• Kailasa
• Kubera

FAQs

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

It highlights Shiva as Bhaktavatsala—Pati (the Lord) who responds to devotion—showing that divine intimacy (closeness to Kailasa and friendship with exalted beings) is rooted in grace rather than mere worldly status.

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

By addressing Shiva as Śaṅkara and Bhaktavatsala, the verse supports Saguna-upāsanā: devotees approach Shiva in a personal, compassionate form (often through the Linga) and receive His accessible grace while He remains the supreme Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is bhakti-centered japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as supports, cultivating the devotee-attitude that the epithet Bhaktavatsala emphasizes.