Shloka 24

पिप्पलादावतारकथनम्

Account of the Pippalāda Avatāra

Devanagari script

स्वास्थीनि देहि नो विप्र महावज्रमयानि हि । अस्थ्ना ते स्वपविं कृत्वा हनिष्यामि सुरद्रुहम्

Transliteration

svāsthīni dehi no vipra mahāvajramayāni hi | asthnā te svapaviṃ kṛtvā haniṣyāmi suradruham

Translation

హే విప్రమునీ, మాకు నీ అస్థులను దయచేయుము; అవి నిజంగా మహావజ్రస్వరూపమైనవి. నీ అస్థులతో నా వజ్రాన్ని నిర్మించి దేవద్రోహిని సంహరిస్తాను।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसमाप्तिसूचक अव्यय (quotative/end marker)

• श्रीशिवमहापुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्रीशिवमहापुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री-शिव-महा-पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (in the Śrī-Śiva-Mahāpurāṇa)

• तृतीयायाम्: in the third
• तृतीयायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (qualifying saṃhitāyām)

• शतरुद्रसंहितायाम्: in the Śatarudra-saṃhitā
• शतरुद्रसंहितायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत-रुद्र-संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शतरुद्रस्य संहिता)

• पिप्पलादावतारवर्णनम्: (the chapter titled) ‘Description of Pippalāda’s incarnation’
• पिप्पलादावतारवर्णनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिप्पलाद-अवतार-वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पिप्पलादस्य अवतारस्य वर्णनम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः; संज्ञासूचक निपात (indeclinable: named/called)

• चतुर्विंशः: twenty-fourth
• चतुर्विंशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (ordinal: twenty-fourth)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Indra (king of the devas), as recounted by Suta Goswami in the Śatarudrasaṃhitā narrative

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; part of the Dadhīci-bone vajra origin motif used to restore cosmic order by defeating the suradruh (enemy of devas).

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Devas
• Vipra (Dadhichi implied)
• Sura-druh (Vritra implied)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights tyāga (self-offering) as a dharmic act: the sage’s body is treated as an instrument for cosmic order, teaching that higher purpose and detachment can transform even mortality into spiritual merit and protection of righteousness.

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

Though the scene centers on Indra and a sage, the Shiva Purana frames such events under Shiva’s overarching lordship (Pati) guiding cosmic balance; devotion to Saguna Shiva (as protector and ruler of dharma) supports the idea that divine order is restored through grace, discipline, and sacrifice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is inner tyāga: practitioners can adopt disciplined japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a vow of self-restraint and service, offering ego and selfish desire into worship—an inward equivalent of the sage’s outward sacrifice.