Shloka 14

हिमवतः सुमङ्गलोत्सव-नगररचना

Himavān’s Auspicious Festival Preparations and City Adornment

Devanagari script

द्वारि स्थिता महालक्ष्मीः कृत्रिमा रचिताद्भुता । सर्वलक्षणसंयुक्ता गताः साक्षत्पयोर्णवात

Transliteration

dvāri sthitā mahālakṣmīḥ kṛtrimā racitādbhutā | sarvalakṣaṇasaṃyuktā gatāḥ sākṣatpayorṇavāta

Translation

വാതിലിൽ മഹാലക്ഷ്മി നിലകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു—കൃത്രിമമായി നിർമ്മിച്ച അത്ഭുതരൂപം—സകല മംഗളലക്ഷണങ്ങളാലും സമ്പന്നയായി, സാക്ഷാൽ ക്ഷീരസമുദ്രത്തിൽ നിന്നെത്തിയതുപോലെ ദൃശ്യമാവുകയായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• द्वारि: at the door
• द्वारि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: stood/were stationed
• स्थिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘standing/placed’

• महा-लक्ष्मीः: Mahālakṣmī
• महा-लक्ष्मीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (महती लक्ष्मीः)

• कृत्रिमाः: artificial, made
• कृत्रिमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्रिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (स्थिताः)

• रचित-अद्भुताः: wonderfully fashioned
• रचित-अद्भुताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रचित (कृदन्त; रच् धातु) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—कर्मधारयः (रचिता अद्भुताः)

• सर्व-लक्षण-संयुक्ताः: endowed with all marks/features
• सर्व-लक्षण-संयुक्ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त; सम्+युज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुषः

• गताः: came/went
• गताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gone/come’

• साक्षात्: directly, as if present
• साक्षात्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पयः-उर्णवात्: from the ocean of milk
• पयः-उर्णवात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + उर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी: पयसः उर्णवः = क्षीरसागरः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse evokes Lakṣmī’s kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk) emergence motif; here it is a crafted, illusory likeness stationed at the threshold as part of Viśvakarmā’s marvel meant to delude onlookers.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: nurturing

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Allusion to samudra-manthana (churning of the ocean) imagery via 'Ocean of Milk'.

Characters & Entities

• Mahalakshmi

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how extraordinary, auspicious appearances can be deliberately fashioned; in Shaiva Siddhanta this encourages viveka (discernment), turning devotion from alluring external forms toward Pati—Lord Shiva, the ultimate reality beyond constructed display.

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

By contrasting a crafted, outwardly perfect form with true divinity, it implicitly points to the Linga as Shiva’s sacred sign—simple yet supremely potent—guiding devotees from mere visual splendor to steady Saguna worship that opens into the Nirguna truth of Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice mindful bhakti with japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and keep the focus on Shiva’s presence (e.g., before the Linga), cultivating discernment so that the mind is not carried away by attractive but impermanent appearances.