Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 18

नन्दिकेश्वरशिवलिङ्गमाहात्म्यवर्णनम्

The Māhātmya of the Nandikeśvara Śiva-liṅga

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा महेशवचनं सा साध्वी द्विजकामिनी । ददर्श शांकरं रूपमानन्दजनकं शुभम्

Transliteration

śrutvā maheśavacanaṃ sā sādhvī dvijakāminī | dadarśa śāṃkaraṃ rūpamānandajanakaṃ śubham

Translation

Nang marinig ang mga salita ni Mahesha, ang banal na babaeng Brahmin ay namasdan ang mapalad na anyo ni Śaṅkara, na siyang pinagmumulan ng espirituwal na kaligayahan.

Word by Word

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (श्रु, धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (Kṛdanta), त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)

• maheśa-vacanam: Mahēśa’s words
• maheśa-vacanam: Karma (कर्म/Object of hearing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (महेश, प्रातिपदिक) + vacana (वचन, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: 'Mahēśa's words'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sādhvī: the virtuous woman
• sādhvī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhvī (साध्वी, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बन्धे (appositional noun)

• dvija-kāminī: the brāhmaṇa’s wife
• dvija-kāminī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (द्विज, प्रातिपदिक) + kāminī (कामिनी, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: 'wife/beloved of a brāhmaṇa'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश्, धातु)
• Form: तिङन्त, लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śāṃkaram: Śaṅkara’s / pertaining to Śaṅkara
• śāṃkaram: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāṃkara (शांकर, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective); पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (agreeing with rūpam neuter in sense; form is accusative singular), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• rūpam: form
• rūpam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (रूप, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ānanda-janakam: bliss-producing
• ānanda-janakam: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ānanda (आनन्द, प्रातिपदिक) + janaka (जनक, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpuruṣa: 'producing bliss'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with rūpam)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (शुभ, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (agreeing with rūpam)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights a Shaiva Siddhanta pattern: śravaṇa (hearing the Lord’s teaching) ripens the soul’s devotion, and by Shiva’s grace it culminates in darśana of His auspicious, bliss-bestowing (ānanda-janaka) form.

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

It affirms Saguna worship: the devotee encounters Shiva in a perceivable, auspicious form. In Kotirudra contexts (Jyotirlinga-oriented), such darśana parallels the devotee’s experience of Shiva’s presence through the Linga—Shiva making Himself accessible through a sacred form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is śravaṇa and smaraṇa: listen to Shiva-kathā and contemplate Shiva’s auspicious form while repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” seeking inner steadiness and grace-born bliss.