Shloka 17

वीरभद्र-भैरव-आह्वानम् — Invocation of Vīrabhadra/Bhairava for Cosmic Reabsorption

Devanagari script

वीरभद्र उवाच । जगत्सुखाय भगवन्नवतीर्णोसि माधव । स्थित्यर्थं त्वं प्रयुक्तोऽसि परेशः परमेष्ठिना

Transliteration

vīrabhadra uvāca | jagatsukhāya bhagavannavatīrṇosi mādhava | sthityarthaṃ tvaṃ prayukto'si pareśaḥ parameṣṭhinā

Translation

వీరభద్రుడు పలికెను—హే భగవన్ మాధవా! జగత్తు సుఖక్షేమార్థం మీరు అవతరించారు. సృష్టి స్థితి ప్రయోజనార్థం పరమేశ్వరుడు పరమేష్ఠి మిమ్మల్ని నియోగించాడు।

Word by Word

• vīrabhadraḥ: Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrabhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom), Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect/लिट्), Parasmaipada, Prathama puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Ekavacana; √vac (to speak)

• jagat-sukhāya: for the welfare/happiness of the world
• jagat-sukhāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी: 'happiness of the world'), Napuṃsakaliṅga (sukha neut), Caturthī (Dative/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana

• bhagavan: O Lord
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• avatīrṇaḥ: descended / incarnated
• avatīrṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त/PPP used actively) from √ava-tṝ (to descend/incarnate); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Parasmaipada, Madhyama puruṣa (2nd/मध्यम), Ekavacana; √as (to be)

• mādhava: O Mādhava
• mādhava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Voc), Ekavacana

• sthiti-artham: for the purpose of preservation
• sthiti-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (चतुर्थी/षष्ठी sense: 'for the purpose of maintenance'), Puṃliṅga (artha masc) used adverbially; Dvitīyā (Acc), Ekavacana

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Madhyama-puruṣa pronoun; Prathamā (Nom), Ekavacana

• prayuktaḥ: appointed / employed
• prayuktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yuj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP) from √pra-yuj (to employ/appoint); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Parasmaipada, Madhyama puruṣa, Ekavacana

• pareśaḥ: the Supreme Lord
• pareśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय-like determinative: 'supreme lord'), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• parameṣṭhinā: by Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• parameṣṭhinā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameṣṭhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instr), Ekavacana

Speaker

Vīrabhadra

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Vishnu (Mādhava)
• Shiva (Pareśa)
• Brahma (Parameṣṭhin)

FAQs

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

The verse affirms cosmic harmony: Viṣṇu’s descent serves jagat-sukha (the world’s welfare), while ultimate sovereignty remains with Pareśa (the Supreme Lord), aligning with a Shaiva Siddhanta hierarchy where Pati governs all functions.

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

By naming a Supreme Lord (Pareśa) who commissions cosmic roles, the verse supports Saguna Shiva as the personal Lord behind creation’s order—worshipped as Śiva/Liṅga as the governing Pati who empowers other deities’ functions.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to meditate on Shiva as Pareśa while reciting the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating that all divine activities (including preservation) proceed by Shiva’s sanction.