Shloka 8

Vaiśyanātha-avatāra-kathā

The Account of Śiva’s Manifestation as Vaiśyanātha

Devanagari script

नृत्यमानौ च तौ दृष्ट्वा शिवभक्तिरता च सा । वेश्या स्म विहसत्युच्चैः प्रेम्णा सर्वसखीयुता

Transliteration

nṛtyamānau ca tau dṛṣṭvā śivabhaktiratā ca sā | veśyā sma vihasatyuccaiḥ premṇā sarvasakhīyutā

Translation

नृत्यमानौ तयोर्दृष्ट्वा शिवभक्तिरता च सा। वेश्या स्म विहसत्युच्चैः प्रेम्णा सर्वसखीयुता॥

Word by Word

• नृत्यमानौ: dancing (the two)
• नृत्यमानौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु) → नृत्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; agreeing with तौ

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• शिवभक्तिरता: devoted to devotion to Śiva
• शिवभक्तिरता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव-भक्ति-रता (प्रातिपदिक); शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य भक्तिः तस्यां रता)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वेश्या: the courtesan
• वेश्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• स्म: indeed/then (past marker)
• स्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपातः; भूतार्थ/अनुस्मरणार्थकः, क्रियायाः भूतत्वं/वृत्तान्तत्वं सूचयति

• विहसति: laughs
• विहसति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• उच्चैः: loudly
• उच्चैः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रेम्णा: with affection
• प्रेम्णा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सर्वसखीयुता: accompanied by all her friends
• सर्वसखीयुता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-सखी-युता (प्रातिपदिक); सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सखी (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वासां सखीनां युता)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Naṭarāja

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; the laughter ‘in love’ while witnessing dance evokes Śiva as Naṭarāja—cosmic dance mirrored in mundane dance, suggesting grace permeating ordinary life.

Significance: Highlights bhakti-satsaṅga (companions/friends) as supportive ecology for devotion; communal joy becomes a vehicle of anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights that Śiva-bhakti can arise and shine in any station of life; loving devotion becomes the inner purifier, making the heart responsive to the divine play and presence.

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

The verse portrays devotion directed to Śiva in a personal, relatable way (saguṇa-bhakti): the devotee’s loving response is awakened by perceiving Śiva’s līlā, which supports heartfelt worship that later culminates in steadiness toward the supreme reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied takeaway is bhakti-smarana—remembering Śiva with love; practically, one may pair this with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” to stabilize devotion.