Shloka 111

Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga

Devanagari script

अघोरघोररूपाय वामदेवाय वै नमः / नमः कनकमालाय देव्याः प्रियकराय च

Transliteration

aghoraghorarūpāya vāmadevāya vai namaḥ / namaḥ kanakamālāya devyāḥ priyakarāya ca

Translation

اَگھور اور گھور—دونوں روپوں والے وام دیو کو یقیناً نمسکار۔ نیز کنک مالا کو بھی نمسکار، جو دیوی کو محبوب ہے اور اسے مسرّت بخشنے والا ہے۔

Word by Word

• अघोरघोररूपाय: to (the one of) non-terrible yet terrible form
• अघोरघोररूपाय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर-घोर-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; अघोर + घोर + रूप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—विशेषणपूर्वकः (कर्मधारय)

• वामदेवाय: to Vāmadeva
• वामदेवाय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (वामः देवः)

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः; नमस्-शब्दः प्रायः अव्ययवत् (salutation particle)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः; नमस्-शब्दः अव्ययवत्

• कनकमालाय: to (her) with a golden garland / to Kanakamālā
• कनकमालाय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनकमाला (प्रातिपदिक; कनक + माला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कनकस्य माला)

• देव्याः: of the Goddess
• देव्याः: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रियकराय: to the dear-doer / giver of what is pleasing
• प्रियकराय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियकर (प्रातिपदिक; प्रिय + कर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रियं करोति इति)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator/Sūta reciting a stotra section (Devī–Śiva praise) within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vāmadeva (Śiva)
• Devī (Goddess/Śakti)
• Aghora (Śiva-epithet)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By saluting a deity whose form is both “aghora” (benign) and “ghora” (awe-inspiring), the verse points to a non-dual wholeness: the Supreme can appear as gentle grace and as fierce transformative power without contradiction—one reality presenting different aspects to devotees.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse models mantra-based upāsanā (devotional contemplation): repeated namas (salutations) to specific divine aspects (Vāmadeva/Aghora) steadies attention (ekāgratā) and purifies bhāva, which in the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva framework supports inner discipline leading toward Pāśupata-aligned devotion and yogic steadiness.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Even while praising Śiva (Vāmadeva/Aghora) and Devī, the Kurma Purana’s larger theological stance treats such forms as complementary revelations of the one supreme principle; thus the stotra reinforces a synthesis where sectarian names differ, but the ultimate divine reality remains unified.