Shloka 5

गिरिराजस्य शिवनिमन्त्रणम् / The Mountain-King Invites Śiva

Hospitality to Śiva and the Devas

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । इत्युक्त्वा बहु शैलेशः करौ बद्ध्वा प्रणम्य च । प्रभुन्निमन्त्रयामास सह विष्णुसुरादिभिः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | ityuktvā bahu śaileśaḥ karau baddhvā praṇamya ca | prabhunnimantrayāmāsa saha viṣṇusurādibhiḥ

Translation

พรหมาตรัสว่า—ครั้นกล่าวดังนี้แล้ว เจ้าแห่งขุนเขาผู้ยิ่งใหญ่ (หิมวาน) ประนมมือถวายบังคม และได้ทูลเชิญพระผู้เป็นเจ้าสูงสุด พร้อมด้วยพระวิษณุและหมู่เทพทั้งหลาย

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यन्त-परामर्शक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having spoken
• उक्त्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• बहु: much / greatly
• बहु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘much/many’)

• शैलेशः: the lord of the mountain (Himālaya)
• शैलेशः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• करौ: (his) two hands
• करौ: Karma (कर्म/Object of ‘binding’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• बद्ध्वा: having bound (joined)
• बद्ध्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रभुम्: the Lord
• प्रभुम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निमन्त्रयामास: invited
• निमन्त्रयामास: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) (परिप्रास-रूप), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahārtha (सहार्थ/Association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable; governs instrumental)

• विष्णुसुरादिभिः: with Viṣṇu, the gods, and others
• विष्णुसुरादिभिः: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + सुर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Himalaya (Shailesha)
• Shiva (Prabhu)
• Vishnu
• Devas

FAQs

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

It highlights śaraṇāgati (humble surrender): even the mightiest—Himālaya with the devas—approach the Supreme Lord through folded hands and reverent bowing, affirming Shiva as the highest refuge (Pati).

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

The verse models Saguna-upāsanā: approaching the personal Lord (Prabhu) with devotion and formal invitation, the same bhakti-attitude used in Liṅga worship through āvāhana (invocation) and namaskāra.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice namaskāra with añjali-mudrā (joined palms) before Shiva—beginning pūjā with āvāhana (inviting the Lord)—and mentally invite Shiva into the heart with the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”