Shloka 4

ब्राह्मणीमरणवर्णनम् (Account of the Brahmin Woman’s Death) — within Nandikeśvara-māhātmya

Devanagari script

सा च रुद्रस्वरूपा हि दर्शनात्पापहारिका । तस्यां स्थिताश्च ये केचित्पाषाणाः शिवरूपिणः

Transliteration

sā ca rudrasvarūpā hi darśanātpāpahārikā | tasyāṃ sthitāśca ye kecitpāṣāṇāḥ śivarūpiṇaḥ

Translation

ఆమె నిశ్చయంగా రుద్రస్వరూపిణి; ఆమె దర్శనమాత్రంతో పాపాలు నశిస్తాయి. అక్కడ ఉన్న ఏ రాళ్లైనా శివరూపములే—శివుని ప్రకటనలే.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (f.)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

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

• रुद्र-स्वरूपा: having the form of Rudra
• रुद्र-स्वरूपा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rudrasya svarūpā = of Rudra’s form)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• दर्शनात्: from (her) sight/seeing
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (अपादान/from; cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ (cause/source)

• पाप-हारिका: sin-removing
• पाप-हारिका: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (pāpam harati iti = remover of sin)

• तस्याम्: in her/in that (place)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (location)

• स्थिताः: situated/standing
• स्थिताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘स्थित’ = situated/standing

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

• ये: who/which (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite: some)

• पाषाणाः: stones
• पाषाणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शिव-रूपिणः: having the form of Śiva
• शिव-रूपिणः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier of stones)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śivasya rūpiṇaḥ = having Śiva’s form)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: Continuing the Revā-tīra mahātmya: the river (implicitly Revā) is declared Rudra-svarūpā; mere darśana removes sins, and even stones there are Śiva-formed—supporting the idea of svayaṃbhū/ natural liṅga manifestations along the Narmadā.

Significance: Darśana itself (not only ritual) is salvific: pāpa-haraṇa by sight underscores Śiva’s anugraha operating through sacred place and perception; natural stones as Śiva-rūpa encourage reverence to the entire landscape.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra

FAQs

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

The verse teaches tirtha-māhātmya from a Shaiva Siddhanta lens: Rudra’s grace can operate through a sacred locus such that mere darśana purifies pāpa, because the place is permeated by Śiva’s presence (Pati) and awakens devotion and surrender in the bound soul (paśu).

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

By stating that the site is Rudra-formed and that even stones there are Śiva-formed, the text affirms Saguna worship: the Lord compassionately becomes approachable through tangible forms (liṅga, mūrti, kṣetra), enabling devotees to receive grace through darśana and reverent contact.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to seek darśana with bhakti—visit the sacred kṣetra, offer simple upacāras to Śiva (water, bilva), and mentally repeat the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” during darśana, treating the entire place—even its stones—as Śiva’s presence.