Shloka 5

नारदप्रश्नवर्णन (Nāradapraśna-varṇana) — “Account of Nārada’s Inquiry”

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे द्वितीयायां रुद्रसंहितायां प्रथमखंडे सृष्ट्युपाख्याने नारदप्रश्नवर्णनोनाम पञ्चमोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe dvitīyāyāṃ rudrasaṃhitāyāṃ prathamakhaṃḍe sṛṣṭyupākhyāne nāradapraśnavarṇanonāma pañcamo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Ainsi, dans le Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa—dans la deuxième section, la Rudra Saṃhitā—dans le premier Khaṇḍa, au sein du récit de la Sṛṣṭi (la Création)—s’achève le cinquième chapitre, intitulé « Description des questions de Nārada ».

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative/closing particle)

• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (title-compound)

• द्वितीयायाम्: in the second
• द्वितीयायाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ordinal adjective qualifying ‘संहितायाम्’

• रुद्र-संहितायाम्: in the Rudra-saṃhitā
• रुद्र-संहितायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘रुद्रस्य संहिता’

• प्रथम-खण्डे: in the first section
• प्रथम-खण्डे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक) + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘प्रथमः खण्डः’ (as a named section)

• सृष्टि-उपाख्याने: in the creation-narrative
• सृष्टि-उपाख्याने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + उपाख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘सृष्टेः उपाख्यानम्’

• नारद-प्रश्न-वर्णन-नाम: named ‘Description of Nārada’s Questions’
• नारद-प्रश्न-वर्णन-नाम: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; title-compound: ‘having the name “Nārada’s questions description”’ (नाम as indeclinable-like member)

• पञ्चमः: fifth
• पञ्चमः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; ordinal qualifying ‘अध्यायः’

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता) (heading statement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrator concluding the chapter to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Narada

FAQs

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

This is a colophon marking the completion of a chapter; spiritually, it highlights that sincere questioning (as exemplified by Nārada) is a sacred doorway through which Śiva-tattva is revealed in the Purāṇa’s teaching tradition.

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

Though it does not describe a ritual directly, it frames the narrative context where Nārada’s questions lead into teachings that commonly culminate in Saguna Śiva worship—especially the Linga as an accessible focus for devotion and contemplation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied practice is śravaṇa and manana—listening to Śiva-kathā and reflecting through disciplined inquiry—often paired in Shaiva practice with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) as the teaching unfolds.