Shloka 20

शिवस्य तपोऽनुष्ठानम् — Śiva’s Austerity and Meditation at Himavat

Gaṅgā-Region

Devanagari script

लीला तव महेशानावेद्या साधुसुखप्रदा । भक्ताधीनस्वरूपोऽसि भक्तवश्यो हि कर्मकृत्

Transliteration

līlā tava maheśānāvedyā sādhusukhapradā | bhaktādhīnasvarūpo'si bhaktavaśyo hi karmakṛt

Translation

ಓ ಮಹೇಶಾನ! ನಿನ್ನ ಲೀಲೆ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಅವೇದ್ಯವಾದರೂ ಸಾಧುಗಳಿಗೆ ಸುಖಪ್ರದ. ನೀನು ಭಕ್ತಾಧೀನನಂತೆ ರೂಪ ಧರಿಸುತ್ತೀ; ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ವಶನಾಗಿ ಅವರಿಗಾಗಿ ಕರ್ಮ ಮಾಡಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಸಿದ್ಧಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತೀ।

Word by Word

• लीला: divine play
• लीला: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेशान्: by/for the great lords (Maheshās)
• महेशान्: करण/सह (Instrumental/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे/सम्बन्धे ‘महेशैः’ इत्यर्थः (Vedic/epic variant ending)

• अ-वेध्या: unknowable
• अ-वेध्या: विशेषण (Adjectival to ‘लीला’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेध्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √विध्/√व्यध्) with नञ् (अ-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थक-उपसर्ग (not knowable/penetrable)

• साधु-सुख-प्रदा: bestowing happiness to the virtuous
• साधु-सुख-प्रदा: विशेषण (Adjectival to ‘लीला’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक) + सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (साधूनां सुखं प्रददाति)

• भक्त-अधीन-स्वरूपः: one whose very nature is dependent on devotees
• भक्त-अधीन-स्वरूपः: कर्ता (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अधीन (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भक्तानाम् अधीनं स्वरूपं यस्य)

• असि: you are
• असि: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भक्त-वश्यः: submissive to devotees
• भक्त-वश्यः: कर्ता (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भक्तानां वश्यः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• कर्म-कृत्: doer of deeds
• कर्म-कृत्: कर्ता (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्म कर्तुम्/कर्मणः कर्ता)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: लीला तव महेशानावेद्या साधुसुखप्रदा । भक्ताधीनस्वरूपोऽसि भक्तवश्यो हि कर्मकृत्

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva’s līlā is ultimately beyond the mind, yet His grace is accessible through bhakti; the Lord voluntarily becomes ‘responsive’ to devotion and brings auspicious joy to the sādhus.

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

Though Śiva is transcendent (not fully knowable), the devotee approaches Him in saguna forms—such as the Śiva-liṅga—where devotion invites His manifest, compassionate activity and protection.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice steady bhakti through japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), liṅga-pūjā with water and bilva leaves, and sincere prayer—devotion is presented as the key that draws Śiva’s anugraha.