Shloka 17

शिवसतीविवाहोत्तरलीला — Post‑marital Līlā of Śiva and Satī

Devanagari script

उच्चैरपि यदाख्येयमन्येषां पुरतो बहु । तत कर्णे कथयत्त्यस्याहरो द्रष्टुं तदाननम्

Transliteration

uccairapi yadākhyeyamanyeṣāṃ purato bahu | tata karṇe kathayattyasyāharo draṣṭuṃ tadānanam

Translation

本来は声高に、しかも人々の前で語るべき多くのことさえ、彼女は彼の耳元に囁いた。彼はその間も彼女の顔を見つめ続けていた。

Word by Word

• उच्चैः: aloud
• उच्चैः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: “aloud”)

• अपि: even
• अपि: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: “even/also”)

• यत्: whatever (that)
• यत्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative: “whatever/that which”)

• आख्येयम्: to be told
• आख्येयम्: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “to be told/should be said”

• अन्येषाम्: of others
• अन्येषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• पुरतः: in front of
• पुरतः: देशाधिकरण (Deśa-adhikaraṇa/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/postposition: “in front of/before”)

• बहु: much
• बहु: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (used adverbially: “much”)

• ततः: then
• ततः: क्रम (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: “then/from there”)

• कर्णे: in (the) ear
• कर्णे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• कथयति: tells
• कथयति: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• अस्याः: of her
• अस्याः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अहरः: daytime / the day
• अहरः: कालाधिकरण (Kāla-adhikaraṇa/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; “day” (contextually: “by day/at daytime”)

• द्रष्टुम्: to see
• द्रष्टुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), “to see”

• तत्-आननम्: that face
• तत्-आननम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (तत् आननम्)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati (Parvati)

FAQs

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

It highlights inward, intimate communication as a mark of pure bhakti—where the devotee’s love turns public speech into a private offering, and the Lord’s gaze signifies compassionate, attentive grace (anugraha).

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

The verse reflects Saguna Shiva’s relational accessibility: the Lord responds to personal devotion and presence. In Linga-worship too, the devotee offers prayer inwardly (manasa) while Shiva receives it through grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A takeaway is japa done softly (upāṃśu) or mentally (mānasa) with single-pointed attention—like quietly repeating “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while holding Shiva’s form in the heart.