Shloka 20

Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ

The Account of Viśvānara Gṛhapati and Śiva’s Descent into the House of Fire

Devanagari script

प्राप्य वाराणसीं तूर्णं दृष्ट्वा ताम्मणिकर्णिकाम् । तत्याज तापत्रितयमपि जन्मशतार्जितम्

Transliteration

prāpya vārāṇasīṃ tūrṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā tāmmaṇikarṇikām | tatyāja tāpatritayamapi janmaśatārjitam

Translation

Быстро достигнув Варанаси и узрев Маникарнику, он сбросил с себя даже тройственное страдание, накопленное за сотни рождений, — силою благодати, присущей тому священному шиваитскому тиртхе.

Word by Word

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having reached’

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; देशनाम

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: अव्यय, शीघ्रार्थ (adverb: ‘quickly’)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having seen’

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Maṇikarṇikā (sacred place)
• मणिकर्णिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणिकर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तीर्थ/स्थाननाम

• तत्याज: abandoned
• तत्याज: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताप-त्रितयम्: the threefold suffering
• ताप-त्रितयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताप (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘the triad of sufferings’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: ‘also/even’)

• जन्म-शत-अर्जितम्: acquired over a hundred births
• जन्म-शत-अर्जितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; √अर्ज् क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) of तापत्रितयम्: ‘acquired over a hundred births’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Kāśī–Maṇikarṇikā as a uniquely Śaiva liberating field where the accumulated threefold miseries of countless births are dissolved through proximity to Shiva’s sacred presence.

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

Vārāṇasī is portrayed as a living domain of Saguna Shiva where darśana of the holy tīrtha functions like darśana of Shiva’s grace—purifying karmic burdens and turning the mind toward liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pilgrimage with Śiva-smaraṇa (remembrance of Shiva) and tīrtha-darśana is implied; a practical takeaway is to combine Kāśī-yātrā (or mental pilgrimage) with japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”