Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 17

परस्य दुर्‍निर्णयः—षट्कुलीयमुनिविवादः तथा ब्रह्मदर्शनार्थं मेरुप्रयाणम् | The Dispute of the Six-Lineage Sages on the Supreme and Their Journey to Brahmā at Meru

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा मुनयस्सर्वे प्रसन्नवदनेक्षणाः । शिरस्यंजलिमाधाय तुष्टुवुस्सुरपुंगवम्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā munayassarve prasannavadanekṣaṇāḥ | śirasyaṃjalimādhāya tuṣṭuvussurapuṃgavam

Translation

Tatkala melihat baginda, semua para muni—wajah berseri dan mata bersukacita—menyatukan telapak tangan lalu meletakkannya di atas kepala sebagai tanda hormat, dan memuji yang terunggul di antara para dewa.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund/absolutive) — "having seen"

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्रसन्न-वदन-ईक्षणाः: with cheerful faces and eyes
• प्रसन्न-वदन-ईक्षणाः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास ("whose face and eyes are cheerful"); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• शिरसि: on the head
• शिरसि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• अञ्जलिम्: folded hands; añjali
• अञ्जलिम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आधाय: having placed
• आधाय: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√धा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund) — "having placed"

• तुष्टुवुः: they praised
• तुष्टुवुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुर-पुंगवम्: the foremost of the gods
• सुर-पुंगवम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + पुंगव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ("best of gods"); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Sages
• Foremost of the Devas (Surapuṅgava)

FAQs

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

It highlights bhakti as a purifying power: the sages respond to divine presence with serenity, humility, and praise—an outer sign of inner surrender to the Supreme Lord (Pati) who grants grace and loosens the bonds (pāśa) of the soul (paśu).

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

The verse models Saguna-upāsanā—approaching the Divine in a perceivable form with gestures of reverence (añjali) and stuti. In Shiva worship, the same attitude is directed to the Śiva-liṅga through namaskāra, ārādhana, and hymns, which mature devotion toward realization of Shiva’s transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice añjali with bowed head (namaskāra) and recite a simple stuti or the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with a calm, pleased mind—making reverence and praise the core of daily Shiva-upāsanā.