Shloka 8

ऋषभचरित्रवर्णनम् (Ṛṣabha-caritra-varṇanam) — “Account of Ṛṣabha’s Sacred Narrative”

Devanagari script

श्वेतः श्वेतशिखश्चैव श्वेताश्वः श्वेतलोहितः । चत्वारो ध्यानयोगात्ते गमिष्यन्ति पुरं मम

Transliteration

śvetaḥ śvetaśikhaścaiva śvetāśvaḥ śvetalohitaḥ | catvāro dhyānayogātte gamiṣyanti puraṃ mama

Translation

ศเวตะ ศเวตศิขะ ศเวตาศวะ และศเวตโลหิตะ—ทั้งสี่นี้ ด้วยวินัยแห่งธยานะโยคะ จักบรรลุถึงนครของเรา คือที่พำนักทิพย์ของเราเอง

Word by Word

• श्वेतः: Śveta
• श्वेतः: कर्ता (Member of subject group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• श्वेतशिखः: Śvetaśikha
• श्वेतशिखः: कर्ता (Member of subject group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत + शिख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘श्वेता शिखा यस्य’)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• श्वेताश्वः: Śvetāśva
• श्वेताश्वः: कर्ता (Member of subject group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत + अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘श्वेतः अश्वः’/नाम)

• श्वेतलोहितः: Śvetalohita
• श्वेतलोहितः: कर्ता (Member of subject group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत + लोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (copulative: ‘श्वेतः च लोहितः च’)

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• ध्यानयोगात्: from/through meditative yoga
• ध्यानयोगात्: हेतु/अपादान (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (determinative)

• ते: your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गमिष्यन्ति: will go
• गमिष्यन्ति: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• पुरम्: to the city/abode
• पुरम्: कर्म (Karma/Goal as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Emphasizes ‘puraṃ mama’ (Śiva’s abode) as the ultimate tīrtha—attained by dhyāna-yoga rather than geography.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Śveta
• Śvetaśikha
• Śvetāśva
• Śvetalohita

FAQs

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

It declares that concentrated dhyāna-yoga on Lord Shiva matures into Shiva-prāpti—attaining the Lord’s own realm—showing that grace is accessed through disciplined inner absorption.

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, meditation on Saguna Shiva (often supported by the Liṅga as an altar of focus) steadies awareness, purifies bonds (pāśa), and culminates in nearness to Pati (Shiva), described here as reaching His ‘pura’ (abode).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse directly points to dhyāna-yoga—regular Shiva-focused meditation (optionally supported by japa of the Panchākṣarī ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’ and Liṅga-darśana) as the practical means leading to Shiva’s abode.