Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

अथ जगाम मुनेस्तु तपोवनं गजवरेण सितेन सदाशिवः । सह सुरासुरसिद्धमहोरगैरमरराजतनुं स्वयमास्थितः

Transliteration

atha jagāma munestu tapovanaṃ gajavareṇa sitena sadāśivaḥ | saha surāsurasiddhamahoragairamararājatanuṃ svayamāsthitaḥ

Translation

پھر سداشیو سفید شاندار گجراج پر سوار ہو کر مُنی کے تپوون کو گئے۔ دیوتا، اسور، سدھ اور مہاورگوں کے ساتھ، انہوں نے خود امَرراج (اِندر) کا درخشاں روپ دھار رکھا تھا۔

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध/प्रसङ्गसूचक (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (then)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: क्रिया (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (liṭ, 3rd pers. sg.)

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन (masc. gen. sg.)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोध/पुनरुक्ति-सूचक (particle: indeed/but)

• तपोवनम्: forest of penance (hermitage-grove)
• तपोवनम्: कर्म (destination object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोवन = तपः + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neut. acc. sg.)

• गजवरेण: by/with the excellent elephant
• गजवरेण: करण (instrument/means: by/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजवर = गज + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन (masc. instr. sg.)

• सितेन: white
• सितेन: करण-विशेषण (instrument qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc. instr. sg.; qualifying ‘elephant’)

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: कर्ता (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदाशिव = सदा + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• सह: together with
• सह: सहकारक/सङ्ग (association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-योगे अव्यय (indeclinable preposition/adverb: with)

• सुरासुरसिद्धमहोरगैः: with gods, demons, siddhas, and great serpents
• सुरासुरसिद्धमहोरगैः: सहकारक (associative accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + असुर + सिद्ध + महोरग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन (masc. instr. pl.); सह-योगे (in association)

• अमरराजतनुम्: the body/form of the king of the immortals (Indra)
• अमरराजतनुम्: कर्म (object complement with ‘assumed’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमरराजतनु = अमरराज + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (fem. acc. sg.); ‘Indra-form’ as object of assuming

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: कर्ता-निश्चय (emphatic to subject)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मनः कर्तृत्व-प्रदर्शक (indeclinable: oneself/by oneself)

• आस्थितः: having assumed
• आस्थितः: क्रिया/अवस्था (predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (PPP; masc. nom. sg.); ‘having assumed/entered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; the setting is Upamanyu’s tapovana where Śiva arrives in disguise to bless the devotee.

Significance: Tapovana motif: sanctity of ascetic spaces where Śiva grants direct anugraha to the steadfast bhakta.

Characters & Entities

• Sadashiva
• Indra
• Devas
• Asuras
• Siddhas
• Mahoragas

FAQs

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

It shows Sadāśiva as the supreme Pati who, out of compassion, enters the tapovana and reveals himself through a chosen form; his sovereignty is affirmed by the assembly of devas, asuras, siddhas, and nāgas moving under his will.

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

Though Shiva is beyond form, he is also Saguna for devotees—here he assumes an Indra-like splendor to bless and instruct. Linga-worship similarly honors the formless through a gracious, worshipable manifestation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Shiva as the inner Lord (Pati) who can appear in any form; in practice, pair japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with dhyāna on Shiva’s compassionate descent into the devotee’s heart-tapovana.