Shloka 60

संध्याचरित्रवर्णनम् (Sandhyā-caritra-varṇana) — “Account of Sandhyā’s Story”

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः । परमः परमाराध्यः शम्भुर्मनसि धार्यताम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | paramaṃ yo mahattejaḥ paramaṃ yo mahattapaḥ | paramaḥ paramārādhyaḥ śambhurmanasi dhāryatām

Translation

วสิษฐะกล่าวว่า—ศัมภูผู้ทรงรัศมีสูงสุด ผู้ทรงตบะสูงสุด ผู้เป็นยอดยิ่งและควรแก่การบูชาสูงสุด พึงดำรงไว้ในดวงใจ

Word by Word

• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Vasiṣṭha
• vasiṣṭhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदी, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective with ‘mahat-tejaḥ’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun (refers to Śambhu)

• mahat-tejaḥ: great splendor
• mahat-tejaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate-noun in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् तेजः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective with ‘mahat-tapaḥ’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun (repeated)

• mahat-tapaḥ: great austerity
• mahat-tapaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate-noun in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महच्च तत् तपः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• paramaḥ: supreme
• paramaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective (to Śambhu)

• parama-ārādhyaḥ: supremely worthy of worship
• parama-ārādhyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + ārādhya (कृदन्त/gerundive from ā-√rādh)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (परमः आराध्यः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• śambhuḥ: Śambhu
• śambhuḥ: Karma (कर्म; object of dhāryatām)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• manasi: in the mind
• manasi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• dhāryatām: let (him) be held/kept (in mind)
• dhāryatām: Kriyā (क्रिया; injunction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; ‘let (him) be held/meditated upon’

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: परमं यो महत्तेजः परमं यो महत्तपः । परमः परमाराध्यः शम्भुर्मनसि धार्यताम्

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the highest spiritual act is to enthrone Śambhu in one’s inner awareness—recognizing Him as the supreme light (tejas), the supreme ascetic power (tapas), and the ultimate object of devotion, leading the soul toward Śiva’s grace.

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

Although Śiva may be worshipped outwardly as the Liṅga (saguṇa support for devotion), this verse emphasizes the inner counterpart—mānasa-dhyāna—where the devotee holds Śambhu in the mind as the supreme adorable Lord, making external worship complete.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice steady meditation (dhāraṇā) on Śambhu in the heart-mind, ideally supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and simple mental worship (offering water, flowers, and reverence inwardly) as a daily discipline.