Shloka 20

उपमन्युकुमारस्य क्षीरार्थ-प्रार्थना तथा शिवप्रसाद-निबन्धनम् | Upamanyu’s Longing for Milk and the Doctrine of Shiva’s Grace

Devanagari script

शिवा शचीस्वरूपाभूद्गणाः सर्वेऽभवन्सुराः । ऐरावतगजो नन्दी सर्वमेव च तन्मयम्

Transliteration

śivā śacīsvarūpābhūdgaṇāḥ sarve'bhavansurāḥ | airāvatagajo nandī sarvameva ca tanmayam

Translation

ശിവാ ശചീയുടെ രൂപം ധരിച്ചു; എല്ലാ ഗണങ്ങളും ദേവന്മാരായി. നന്ദി ഐരാവത ഗജമായി; അവിടെ എല്ലാം ആ ദിവ്യാവസ്ഥയിൽ തന്മയമായി.

Word by Word

• शिवा: Śivā (Pārvatī)
• शिवा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शचीस्वरूपा: having the form of Śacī
• शचीस्वरूपा: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शची (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शच्याः स्वरूपा)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गणाः: the attendants/gaṇas
• गणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अभवन्: became
• अभवन्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ऐरावतगजः: Airāvata (as an elephant)
• ऐरावतगजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ऐरावतस्य गजः)

• नन्दी: Nandī
• नन्दी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दिन्/नन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समष्टिवाचक

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• तन्मयम्: consisting of that / transformed into that
• तन्मयम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मयट् (प्रत्यय; -मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तदर्थे ‘तन्मय’ = तेन मयम् (made of/consisting of that)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Total ‘tanmayatā’ (pervasion) of the scene by the adopted deva-state—mythic transformation tableau

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti (Shiva)
• Shachi (Indrani)
• Ganas
• Devas
• Airavata
• Nandi

FAQs

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

It illustrates Śiva’s sovereign power to manifest and reconfigure cosmic roles—showing that all beings and offices (Devas, attendants, vehicles) ultimately derive their potency from Śiva-Śakti and can be absorbed into that divine state (tanmayatva).

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

The verse emphasizes Saguna līlā—Śiva and Śakti taking specific forms and transforming the retinue and symbols around them—supporting devotional worship where the devotee recognizes all forms as expressions of the one Lord represented in the Liṅga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on “tanmayam”—seeing all names and forms as pervaded by Śiva—while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and cultivating inner identification with Śiva rather than mere external distinctions.