Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18

नारदप्रश्नवर्णन (Nāradapraśna-varṇana) — “Account of Nārada’s Inquiry”

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा काशीं कृताऽर्थोभूत्काशीनाथं ददर्श ह । आनर्च परम प्रीत्या परमानन्दसंयुतः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā kāśīṃ kṛtā'rthobhūtkāśīnāthaṃ dadarśa ha | ānarca parama prītyā paramānandasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

Ao contemplar Kāśī, sentiu que o propósito de sua vida estava cumprido. Então viu o Senhor de Kāśī (Śiva) e O adorou com amor supremo, pleno da mais alta bem-aventurança.

Word by Word

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (क्त्वा), Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त/अव्ययकृदन्त), ‘having seen’

• kāśīm: Kāśī
• kāśīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• kṛta-arthaḥ: one whose purpose is fulfilled
• kṛta-arthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta (कृत, √kṛ) + artha (अर्थ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय; ‘accomplished-purpose’); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• abhūt: became
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू) (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्), Past/Imperfect; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• kāśī-nātham: the Lord of Kāśī
• kāśī-nātham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśī + nātha (काशी + नाथ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘lord of Kāśī’); Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्), Perfect; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (ह)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic particle (निपात)

• ānarca: worshipped
• ānarca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√narc/√arc (अर्च्) (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्), Perfect; Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• parama: supreme; very great
• parama: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (परम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) used adverbially; Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana implied with prītyā as intensifier (अत्यर्थे)

• prītyā: with love; with affection
• prītyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रीति) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana; instrumental of manner

• parama-ānanda-saṃyutaḥ: endowed with supreme bliss
• parama-ānanda-saṃyutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama + ānanda + saṃyuta (परम + आनन्द + संयुत) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष; ‘endowed with supreme bliss’); saṃyuta = kta-kridanta from sam-√yuj (युज्); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Nārada’s ‘kṛtārthatā’ upon seeing Kāśī and then Kāśīnātha reflects the kṣetra’s status as a direct bestower of Śiva’s grace; Viśvanātha is approached as the Lord whose darśana itself completes life’s aim.

Significance: Darśana and arcana of Kāśīnātha are portrayed as producing parama-prīti and paramānanda—devotional culmination and a foretaste of liberation.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse presents Kāśī-darśana and Śiva-darśana as life-fulfilling: when devotion culminates in direct reverent worship of the Lord (Pati), the soul tastes paramānanda—an indicator of grace-oriented liberation in Śaiva understanding.

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

By naming Him “Kāśīnātha,” the verse points to Saguna Śiva approachable through sacred place and worship; in Kāśī this is classically associated with Viśvanātha and Linga-upāsanā—devotion expressed through archana and darśana.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is loving archana (pūjā) after darśana—mentally or ritually offering reverence while repeating a Śiva-mantra such as the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating prīti (devotional love) that ripens into inner bliss.