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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15

दक्षयज्ञदर्शनम् — The Vision of Dakṣa’s Great Sacrifice

and the Onset of Vīrabhadra’s Terror

स्मयन्निव तमालोक्य दक्षं देवाश्च ऋत्विजः । अर्थगर्भमसंभ्रान्तमवोचदुचितं वचः

smayanniva tamālokya dakṣaṃ devāśca ṛtvijaḥ | arthagarbhamasaṃbhrāntamavocaducitaṃ vacaḥ

Ao ver Dakṣa, os deuses e os sacerdotes oficiantes—como que sorrindo—falaram-lhe serenamente palavras adequadas à ocasião, sem agitação, mas plenas de sentido interior.

स्मयन्smiling
स्मयन्:
कर्ता (Karta—participial qualifier)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मि (धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्यय (Present active participle/शतृ), प्रथमा एकवचन पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘smiling’ (कर्तरि)
इवas if
इव:
क्रियाविशेषण (Comparative particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)
तम्him
तम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)
आलोक्यhaving looked at
आलोक्य:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main action)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + लोक् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having looked at/observed’
दक्षम्Dakṣa
दक्षम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootदक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); apposition to ‘तम्’
देवाःthe gods
देवाः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)
and
:
समुच्चय (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction)
ऋत्विजःthe priests
ऋत्विजः:
कर्ता (Karta—co-subject)
TypeNoun
Rootऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)
अर्थगर्भम्pregnant with meaning
अर्थगर्भम्:
कर्म (Karma—qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअर्थ + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); विशेषणम् to ‘वचः’
असंभ्रान्तम्unperturbed, unconfused
असंभ्रान्तम्:
कर्म (Karma—qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ + संभ्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक; संभ्रान्त from √भ्रम with सम्)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); विशेषणम् to ‘वचः’
अवोचत्said/spoke
अवोचत्:
क्रिया (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम् (Parasmaipada)
उचितम्proper, fitting
उचितम्:
कर्म (Karma—qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootउचित (प्रातिपदिक; past passive participle used adjectivally)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); विशेषणम् to ‘वचः’
वचःwords/speech
वचः:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootवचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode to the sages)

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga context. The ‘arthagarbha’ (meaning-laden) calm speech of devas and ṛtviks functions as a didactic pause—an opening for correction (anugraha) before total ruin.

Significance: Models dharmic counsel: even amid crisis, wise speech can invite repentance; devotees learn to align ritual with humility and right understanding of Śiva.

Role: teaching

Offering: pushpa

D
Daksha
D
Devas
R
Ritvijas

FAQs

It highlights sāttvika speech—calm, appropriate, and meaning-filled—as a dharmic instrument to dissolve pride; in Shaiva thought, such clarity helps loosen pasha (bondage) created by ego.

The Daksha narrative commonly turns on honoring Shiva’s supreme station; the devas’ measured words implicitly point toward right reverence for Saguna Shiva (as worshipped in the Linga) rather than ritual pride.

Practice restrained, mantra-aligned speech (vāg-yama) and humility before worship—approaching Shiva-pūjā with steadiness (asaṁbhrama), which supports japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and inner composure.