Shloka 11

Indra’s Account: Shilada’s Tapas and Shiva’s Manifestation as Nandi

Devanagari script

श्रीदेवदेव उवाच पूर्वमाराधितो विप्र ब्रह्मणाहं तपोधन तपसा चावतारार्थं मुनिभिश् च सुरोत्तमैः

Transliteration

śrīdevadeva uvāca pūrvamārādhito vipra brahmaṇāhaṃ tapodhana tapasā cāvatārārthaṃ munibhiś ca surottamaiḥ

Translation

شری دیودیو نے فرمایا—اے برہمن، اے تپ کا خزانہ! پہلے برہما نے تپسیا کے ذریعے میری عبادت کی؛ اور میرے اوتار کے مقصد سے رشیوں اور دیوتاؤں کے سرداروں نے بھی تپسیا سے مجھے راضی کیا۔

Word by Word

• śrī-devadevaḥ: the glorious Lord of gods (Śiva)

• uvāca: said

• pūrvam: formerly, earlier

• ārādhitaḥ: worshipped/propitiated

• vipra: O brāhmaṇa

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā

• aham: I

• tapodhana: O wealth of tapas (address to an ascetic/brāhmaṇa)

• tapasā: by austerity

• ca: and

• avatāra-artham: for the purpose of incarnation/descent

• munibhiḥ: by sages

• ca: and

• sura-uttamaiḥ: by the best among the devas

Speaker

Shiva (Devadeva)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Sages (Munis)
• Devas (Surottamas)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames Śiva as the Pati who is approached through ārādhana and tapas; Linga-worship is thus grounded in disciplined propitiation that invites His manifest presence (prādurbhāva/avatāra) for the world’s welfare.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva-tattva is shown as sovereign and responsive: though transcendent, Devadeva is pleased by tapas performed by Brahmā, sages, and devas, and He manifests (descends) by grace when invoked for a cosmic purpose.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Tapas as a Pāśupata-oriented discipline—focused austerity and propitiation (ārādhana) directed to Pati (Śiva) to loosen pāśa (bondage) and catalyze divine intervention/manifestation.