Shloka 31

शारभावतारवर्णनम्

Account of Śiva’s Śārabha Manifestation and the Measureless Avatāras

Devanagari script

तत्र गत्वा सुरास्सर्वे ब्रह्माद्या मुनय स्तथा । शंकरं स्तवयामासुर्लोकानां सुखहेतवे

Transliteration

tatra gatvā surāssarve brahmādyā munaya stathā | śaṃkaraṃ stavayāmāsurlokānāṃ sukhahetave

Translation

అక్కడికి వెళ్లి సమస్త దేవతలు, బ్రహ్మాది మరియు మునులు కూడి—లోకాల సుఖహేతువైన శంకరుని స్తుతించసాగిరి.

Word by Word

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa (देश/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय/adverb of place (there)

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययभाव/gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having gone’

• surāḥ: the gods
• surāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (surāḥ)

• brahma-ādyāḥ: beginning with Brahmā
• brahma-ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (surāḥ/munayaḥ); तत्पुरुष (brahmā ādiḥ yeṣām)

• munayaḥ: sages
• munayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Co-subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय/adverb (also/likewise)

• śaṃkaram: Śaṅkara
• śaṃkaram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• stavayāmāsuḥ: praised
• stavayāmāsuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √stu (धातु) (स्तु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; णिच् (causative) stem: stavaya- ‘to cause praise/ to praise’

• lokānām: of the worlds/people
• lokānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• sukha-hetave: for the cause of happiness
• sukha-hetave: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (sukhasya hetuḥ)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Śarabheśvara

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The gathering of devas and sages to praise Śaṅkara is a generic Purāṇic stuti-setting rather than a localized Jyotirliṅga māhātmya.

Significance: Models the liturgical act: communal stuti as a means to invoke Śiva’s grace for loka-kṣema (welfare of worlds).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Devas
• Sages (Munis)

FAQs

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

The verse presents Shiva (Śaṅkara) as the ultimate cause of the world’s well-being, showing that even devas and sages rely on bhakti (hymns and praise) to seek loka-kalyāṇa through His grace.

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

By depicting collective stuti to Śaṅkara, it emphasizes saguna-upāsanā—devotional worship of Shiva with attributes—commonly expressed through stotras and, in practice, through Liṅga-pūjā as a direct, accessible form of reverence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The immediate takeaway is stotra-pāṭha (recitation of Shiva hymns) with devotional intent; it may be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as a focused practice for peace and welfare.