Shloka 38

महाकालज्योतिर्लिङ्गमाहात्म्ये चन्द्रसेन-चिन्तामणि-प्रसङ्गः

Mahākāla Jyotirliṅga Māhātmya: The Episode of King Candrasena and the Cintāmaṇi

Devanagari script

अथापश्यत्स्वशिबिरं पुरंदरपुरोपमम् । सद्यो हिरण्मयीभूतं विचित्रं परमोज्ज्वलम्

Transliteration

athāpaśyatsvaśibiraṃ puraṃdarapuropamam | sadyo hiraṇmayībhūtaṃ vicitraṃ paramojjvalam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ തന്റെ ശിബിരം കണ്ടു; അത് പുരന്ദരൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ)ന്റെ പുരിയെപ്പോലെ. ക്ഷണത്തിൽ തന്നെ അത് സ്വർണമയമായി, വിചിത്രരൂപവും പരമോജ്ജ്വലതയും പ്രാപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: आरम्भ/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• अपश्यत्: he saw
• अपश्यत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वशिबिरम्: his own camp
• स्वशिबिरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-शिबिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—स्वं शिबिरम् (his own camp)

• पुरन्दरपुरोपमम्: like Indra’s city
• पुरन्दरपुरोपमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरन्दर-पुर-उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—पुरन्दरस्य पुरम् इव उपमम् (comparable to Indra’s city)

• सद्यः: suddenly
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (immediately)

• हिरण्मयीभूतम्: turned golden
• हिरण्मयीभूतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मयी-भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भू धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—हिरण्मयी इव/हिरण्मयी च सा भूता (become golden); भूत = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• विचित्रम्: wonderful/variegated
• विचित्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• परमोज्ज्वलम्: extremely radiant
• परमोज्ज्वलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-उज्ज्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः—परमं उज्ज्वलम् (supremely bright)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga episode; the motif is Śiva’s immediate bestowal of prosperity (aiśvarya) as a visible sign of grace.

Significance: Teaches that sincere bhakti can transmute one’s ‘śibira’ (life-condition) into divine splendor—outer sign pointing to inner purification.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Post-sunset liminality; ‘sadyaḥ’ (instant) underscores sudden descent of grace.

Characters & Entities

• Indra (Purandara)

FAQs

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

It highlights Shiva’s anugraha (grace): by divine will, the ordinary becomes extraordinary, revealing that auspiciousness and splendor arise when the Lord’s presence sanctifies one’s space and mind.

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

The sudden, visible transformation into radiant gold reflects Saguna Shiva’s tangible bestowal of blessings—much like how devotion to the Jyotirlinga manifests as protection, prosperity, and inner illumination for the devotee.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Shiva as Jyoti (divine light) while chanting the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”; maintain purity with bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and steady japa to invite the Lord’s auspicious radiance into one’s life.