Shloka 37

Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ

The Account of Viśvānara Gṛhapati and Śiva’s Descent into the House of Fire

Devanagari script

तावद्विलोकयाञ्चक्रे मध्ये लिंगन्तपोधनः । विभूतिभूषणम्बालमष्टवर्षाकृतिं शिशुम्

Transliteration

tāvadvilokayāñcakre madhye liṃgantapodhanaḥ | vibhūtibhūṣaṇambālamaṣṭavarṣākṛtiṃ śiśum

Translation

تب لِنگ میں یکسو وہ تپودھن درمیان کی طرف دیکھنے لگا؛ اور اس نے وہیں ایک معصوم بچے کو دیکھا جس کا زیور وِبھوتی (مقدس راکھ) تھی، اور جس کی صورت آٹھ برس کے لڑکے جیسی تھی۔

Word by Word

• तावत्: then/meanwhile
• तावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तावदर्थक (indeclinable; meanwhile/then)

• विलोकयान्: looking
• विलोकयान्: Karta (कर्ता; participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विलोकय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with podhanaḥ)

• चक्रे: did
• चक्रे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (did/made)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

• लिङ्ग-अन्त-पोधनः: the ascetic devoted to the liṅga (liṅga-endowed sage)
• लिङ्ग-अन्त-पोधनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + पोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (निर्देश/सम्बन्ध); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• विभूति-भूषणम्: adorned with sacred ash
• विभूति-भूषणम्: Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी: विभूतेः भूषणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'बालम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (accusative singular)

• बालम्: a boy
• बालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• अष्ट-वर्ष-आकृतिम्: having the form of an eight-year-old
• अष्ट-वर्ष-आकृतिम्: Karma (कर्म; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (द्विगु/निर्देश: अष्ट वर्षाणि यस्याः सा आकृतिः; here as determinative); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'शिशुम्/बालम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शिशुम्: a child
• शिशुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (accusative singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The Lord’s epiphany as a vibhūti-adorned child in the liṅga’s midst functions as a liṅga-māhātmya motif: Śiva becomes directly visible to the devotee after prolonged worship.

Significance: Darśana of Śiva’s manifested form (even as a child) is presented as the fruit of sustained liṅga-upāsanā and purity; vibhūti signifies Śiva’s protective, purifying presence.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Linga

FAQs

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

It portrays Shiva’s grace taking a tangible, saguna form for a devoted ascetic: the Lord becomes approachable as a child marked by vibhuti, signifying purity, detachment, and the burning away of impurities through devotion centered on the Liṅga.

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

The ascetic is described as Liṅga-focused, and the vision occurs “in the midst” of that sacred center—showing that Liṅga-upāsanā can culminate in direct experience of Saguna Shiva, who reveals himself in a compassionate, perceivable form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Vibhuti-dhāraṇa (wearing sacred ash, traditionally as Tripuṇḍra) along with steady Liṅga-dhyāna is implied—cultivating vairāgya (dispassion) and remembrance of Shiva as the inner Lord who grants darśana.