Shloka 1

शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । अथाकर्ण्य नुर्तिविष्णुकृतां स्वस्य महेश्वरः । प्रादुर्बभूव सुप्रीतस्सवामं करुणानिधिः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | athākarṇya nurtiviṣṇukṛtāṃ svasya maheśvaraḥ | prādurbabhūva suprītassavāmaṃ karuṇānidhiḥ

Translation

พรหมาตรัสว่า—เมื่อทรงสดับการร่ายรำที่พระวิษณุทรงกระทำเพื่อพระองค์เองแล้ว พระมหาเทวะผู้เป็นขุมคลังแห่งกรุณา ทรงปลื้มปีติยิ่ง และทรงปรากฏพร้อมพระวามา

Word by Word

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

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

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/अनन्तर-अव्यय (temporal adverb: ‘then/thereupon’)

• आकर्ण्य: having heard
• आकर्ण्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + कर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle): ‘having heard’

• नृति-विष्णु-कृताम्: (the praise) done by Nṛti and Viṣṇu
• नृति-विष्णु-कृताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृति (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु से क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नृति-विष्णु-कर्तृका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘कृता’ (f.) = ‘made/done’ (स्तुति/कृति implied)

• स्वस्य: of himself
• स्वस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘of himself/one’s own’

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (महान् ईश्वरः), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रादुः: manifestly
• प्रादुः: Upapada (उपपद/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रादुः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) ‘manifestly/into appearance’; प्रादुर्भू इत्यत्र उपसर्गवत्

• बभूव: became/appeared
• बभूव: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्शभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• सुप्रीतः: very pleased
• सुप्रीतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुप्रीत (प्रातिपदिक; सु+प्रीत)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण महेश्वरः इति

• स-वामम्: with (his) left side/with Umā
• स-वामम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सह-समास: ‘with (his) left (side)’/‘with Umā’ as contextual), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (उपलक्षण) महेश्वरम् (implicit)

• करुणानिधिः: treasury of compassion
• करुणानिधिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करुणा (प्रातिपदिक) + निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (करुणायाः निधिः), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); महेश्वरस्य उपाधि

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Vama

FAQs

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

It shows that Mahādeva responds to sincere devotion and sacred offering (here, Viṣṇu’s reverential dance), and that Shiva’s grace (karuṇā) culminates in His manifest presence for the devotee’s upliftment.

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

Shiva ‘manifesting’ emphasizes Saguna worship—when devotion becomes ripe, the Lord becomes accessible in a perceivable form, just as He is approached through the Śiva-liṅga as a merciful, worship-receiving presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer devotional worship that pleases Shiva—such as mantra-japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), stotra, and rhythmic worship (gīta-nṛtya) with purity—seeking not display but heartfelt reverence.