Shloka 54

प्रकृतितत्त्व-विचारः / Inquiry into Prakṛti (Nature/Śakti) and Śiva’s Transcendence

Devanagari script

काली त्वनुदिनं शंभुं सद्भक्त्या समसेवत । विचिंतयंती सततं तस्य रूपं महात्मनः

Transliteration

kālī tvanudinaṃ śaṃbhuṃ sadbhaktyā samasevata | viciṃtayaṃtī satataṃ tasya rūpaṃ mahātmanaḥ

Translation

കാളി ദിനംപ്രതി സദ്ഭക്തിയോടെ ശംഭുവിനെ സേവിച്ചു; ആ മഹാത്മാവിന്റെ ദിവ്യരൂപം നിരന്തരം ധ്യാനിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• काली: Kālī
• काली: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (contrastive particle/विरोध)

• अनुदिनम्: daily
• अनुदिनम्: काल (Kāla/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (अनु + दिनम्) = adverb; ‘day by day’

• शम्भुम्: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सद्भक्त्या: with true devotion
• सद्भक्त्या: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सतां भक्ति = true/devout devotion)

• समसेवत: served; attended upon
• समसेवत: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• विचिन्तयन्ती: thinking; contemplating
• विचिन्तयन्ती: कर्तृ (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चिन्त् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृसमनाधिकरण (agreeing with काली)

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (महान् आत्मा = great-souled)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kali

FAQs

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

It teaches that steady sadbhakti—daily service and uninterrupted remembrance of Śiva—purifies the mind and draws the Lord’s grace, making devotion itself a direct means toward liberation.

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

By emphasizing contemplation of Śiva’s rūpa, it supports saguṇa upāsanā—worship of Śiva in a graspable form (including the Śiva-liṅga) as a practical doorway for the devotee toward realizing the Supreme.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple daily regimen: worship Śiva with sincere devotion and practice constant dhyāna (remembrance) of His form—optionally supported by japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” vibhūti (tripuṇḍra), and rudrākṣa for steadiness.