Shloka 13

नन्दिकेशावतारवर्णनम् (Nandikeśa Avatāra Varṇanam) — “Account of the Descent/Origin of Nandikeśvara”

Devanagari script

तस्मादयोनिजे पुत्रे मृत्युहीने प्रयत्नतः । परित्यजाशां विप्रेन्द्र गृहाणात्मक्षमं सुतम्

Transliteration

tasmādayonije putre mṛtyuhīne prayatnataḥ | parityajāśāṃ viprendra gṛhāṇātmakṣamaṃ sutam

Translation

కాబట్టి, ఓ బ్రాహ్మణశ్రేష్ఠా, యత్నపూర్వకంగా మృత్యురహితమైన అయోనిజ పుత్రుని పొందుము. లోకాసక్తి ఆశను విడిచి, ఆత్మకు యోగ్యుడై మోక్షమార్గం చూపగల ఆ పుత్రుని స్వీకరించుము.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• a-yonije: in the non-womb-born
• a-yonije: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a + yonija (अ + योनिज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); privative a- (नञ्); qualifying ‘putre’

• putre: in/with regard to the son
• putre: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (पुत्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mṛtyu-hīne: in the deathless (one)
• mṛtyu-hīne: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu + hīna (मृत्यु + हीन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘devoid of death’

• prayatnataḥ: earnestly/with effort
• prayatnataḥ: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prayatna (प्रयत्न प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverbial ablative (तसिल्) from ‘prayatna’: ‘with effort/earnestly’

• parityaja: abandon
• parityaja: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (परि + त्यज् धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• āśām: hope
• āśām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āśā (आशा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vipra-indra: O best of brāhmaṇas
• vipra-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (विप्र + इन्द्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘chief of brāhmaṇas’

• gṛhāṇa: accept/take
• gṛhāṇa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• ātma-kṣamam: fit for you/appropriate
• ātma-kṣamam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman + kṣama (आत्मन् + क्षम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘suitable for oneself’ (ātman-eva kṣamaḥ)

• sutam: son
• sutam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (सुत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic teaching to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakshinamurti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It urges renunciation of worldly expectations and points to the ‘deathless son’ as the inner, spiritual attainment—devotion and Self-knowledge under Shiva’s grace—leading beyond mortality toward moksha.

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

By shifting focus from perishable outcomes to the imperishable, it aligns worship with Shiva as both Saguna (approached through Linga-pūjā) and the gateway to the Nirguna reality—where the devotee seeks liberation rather than mere worldly gain.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is disciplined Shiva-upāsanā with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and a vow of vairāgya—using worship to dissolve desire and cultivate liberation-oriented devotion.