Shloka 57

एकोनविंशतिशिवावतारवर्णनम्

Description of the Nineteen Manifestations/Avatāras of Śiva

Devanagari script

इत्येतद्वै मया प्रोक्तमवतारेषु लक्षणम् । मन्वादिकृष्णपर्यन्तमष्टाविंशद्युगक्रमात्

Transliteration

ityetadvai mayā proktamavatāreṣu lakṣaṇam | manvādikṛṣṇaparyantamaṣṭāviṃśadyugakramāt

Translation

Demikianlah telah Kunyatakan tanda-tanda para avatāra. Menurut urutan dua puluh delapan yuga, uraian ini terbentang dari masa Manu hingga kedatangan Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

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

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (कर्तृ/करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्तम्: declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (spoken/declared)

• अवतारेषु: in the incarnations
• अवतारेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• लक्षणम्: characteristic, mark
• लक्षणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मन्वादि-कृष्ण-पर्यन्तम्: up to Kṛṣṇa, starting with Manu etc.
• मन्वादि-कृष्ण-पर्यन्तम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनु + आदि + कृष्ण + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: up to Kṛṣṇa beginning from Manu etc.); रूपम् नपुंसक एकवचनवत्

• अष्टाविंशत्-युग-क्रमात्: from the sequence of twenty-eight yugas
• अष्टाविंशत्-युग-क्रमात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाविंशत् + युग + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—अष्टाविंशतां युगानां क्रमः

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: yuga-krama (ordered succession of ages)

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Manu
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It closes a teaching section by affirming that divine descents have recognizable “lakṣaṇas” (marks) and that sacred history unfolds in an ordered yuga-sequence—helping the devotee discern Shiva’s guiding presence through time while remembering He ultimately transcends time.

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

By emphasizing “avatāra-lakṣaṇa,” it supports Saguna worship—recognizing the Lord’s accessible forms in history—while Shaiva Siddhanta holds that the same Shiva is worshipped as the Linga, the timeless Pati who manifests compassionately for devotees in various ages.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa with the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Shiva as the inner ruler across all yugas; this steadies devotion beyond changing times and narratives.