Shloka 5

एकोनविंशतिशिवावतारवर्णनम्

Description of the Nineteen Manifestations/Avatāras of Śiva

Devanagari script

द्वादशे परिवर्त्ते तु शततेजाश्च वेदकृत् । तत्राप्यहं भविष्यामि द्वापरान्ते कलाविह

Transliteration

dvādaśe parivartte tu śatatejāśca vedakṛt | tatrāpyahaṃ bhaviṣyāmi dvāparānte kalāviha

Translation

બારમા પરિવર્તચક્રમાં (હું) ‘શતતેજા’—વેદકર્તા—થઈશ; અને ત્યાં પણ દ્વાપરાંતમાં, કલુષરહિત થઈ, હું પ્રાદુર્ભવ કરીશ।

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), quotative particle (इति-प्रयोगः)

• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (श्रीशिवस्य महापुराणम्)

• tṛtīyāyām: in the third
• tṛtīyāyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ordinal adjective qualifying saṃhitāyām

• śata-rudra-saṃhitāyām: in the Śatarudra-saṃhitā
• śata-rudra-saṃhitāyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शतरुद्राणां संहिता)

• śiva-avatāra-upākhyānam: the episode/narrative of Śiva’s incarnation
• śiva-avatāra-upākhyānam: Karta (कर्ता/heading subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + avatāra (प्रातिपदिक) + upākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (शिवावतारस्य उपाख्यानम्)

• ekona-viṃśati-śiva-avatāra-varṇanam: the description of the nineteen incarnations of Śiva
• ekona-viṃśati-śiva-avatāra-varṇanam: Karta (कर्ता/appositive title)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekona (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + avatāra (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकोनविंशतिशिवावताराणां वर्णनम्)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya usage (अव्यय-प्रयोगः) as title-marker ‘named/called’ (नाम-शब्दः)

• pañcamaḥ: fifth
• pañcamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ordinal adjective qualifying adhyāyaḥ

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/heading subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vedas

FAQs

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

The verse presents Shiva as the timeless Pati (Supreme Lord) who manifests in specific ages to restore dharma and transmit liberating knowledge, showing that divine grace and revelation arise according to cosmic cycles.

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

By describing Shiva’s deliberate manifestation with full potency, it supports Saguna upāsanā—devotion to Shiva with form—while implying that the same Supreme who is worshipped as the Linga also assumes historical forms to guide beings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is steady japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with faith that Shiva’s grace appears in every age; daily Linga worship with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa can be adopted as supportive Shaiva disciplines.