Shloka 63

Kṛṣṇādi-Śivabhaktoddhāraṇa & Śiva-māhātmya-varṇana

Deliverance of Krishna and other devotees; Description of Shiva’s Greatness

Devanagari script

हृदये संस्मन्भक्त्या प्रवणेन युतं शिवम् । तस्मान्मृत्युमुखाकारो गणो मृगमुखोऽभवत्

Transliteration

hṛdaye saṃsmanbhaktyā pravaṇena yutaṃ śivam | tasmānmṛtyumukhākāro gaṇo mṛgamukho'bhavat

Translation

Se souvenant de Śiva dans son cœur, avec une bhakti humble et un abandon dévot, ce gaṇa, au visage terrifiant comme la gueule de la Mort, prit un visage de cerf.

Word by Word

• hṛdaye: in the heart
• hṛdaye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन

• saṃsmaran: remembering
• saṃsmaran: Karta (कर्ता/agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ+smṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• pravaṇena: with earnest inclination
• pravaṇena: Karana (करण/instrument/attendant manner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'saṃsmaran' as 'inclined/earnest')

• yutam: joined; endowed
• yutam: Karma (कर्म/object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of śivam)

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tasmāt: therefore; from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति तद्धित-प्रयोगवत् सर्वनाम-रूपम्; पञ्चमी-एकवचन, अव्ययीभावेन (as adverb): 'therefore/from that'

• mṛtyu-mukha-ākāraḥ: having the form of a death-like face
• mṛtyu-mukha-ākāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative chain: 'death-face-form'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of gaṇaḥ)

• gaṇaḥ: attendant; gaṇa
• gaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mṛga-mukhaḥ: deer-faced
• mṛga-mukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: 'deer-faced'), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of gaṇaḥ)

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It shows that sincere heart-centered remembrance of Pati (Śiva) through bhakti and surrender can transmute even a fearsome, death-like condition into a purified, auspicious state—an expression of Śiva’s grace removing bondage.

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

Although the verse speaks of inner remembrance, it aligns with Saguna upāsanā: devotees contemplate Śiva with form and qualities (as worshipped in the Liṅga), and that steady smaraṇa reshapes the devotee’s very nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Hṛdaya-dhyāna (meditating on Śiva in the heart) supported by bhakti—practically done with japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” often alongside bhasma and rudrākṣa as Shaiva aids to remembrance.