Shloka 55

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

तमारूढो महादेवो वृषभं धर्मवत्सलः । शुशुभेतीव देवर्षिसेवितस्सकलैर्व्रजन्

Transliteration

tamārūḍho mahādevo vṛṣabhaṃ dharmavatsalaḥ | śuśubhetīva devarṣisevitassakalairvrajan

Translation

Mahādeva, đấng yêu mến Dharma, cưỡi lên con ngưu ấy rồi tiến bước. Được chư thiên-Ṛṣi phụng sự và muôn loài theo hầu, Ngài dường như rực rỡ huy hoàng, tỏa sáng vinh quang.

Word by Word

• tam: him/that (bull)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• ārūḍhaḥ: mounted (upon)
• ārūḍhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-ruh (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (Past passive participle/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; meaning ‘mounted’

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; समासः—कर्मधारयः (mahān devaḥ)

• vṛṣabham: the bull
• vṛṣabham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana

• dharma-vatsalaḥ: fond of dharma
• dharma-vatsalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (dharme vatsalaḥ = fond of dharma)

• śuśubhe: shone
• śuśubhe: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śubh (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (इति)

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamā (Comparison/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; upamā-vācaka (comparative particle/उपमा)

• devarṣi-sevitaḥ: served by divine sages
• devarṣi-sevitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: devarṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + sevita (सेव् धातु + kta कृत्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; kta-kridanta ‘served’; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (devarṣibhiḥ sevitaḥ)

• sakalaiḥ: by all
• sakalaiḥ: Sahakārī (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana; used substantively ‘by all (of them)’

• vrajan: going
• vrajan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Concomitant action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vraj (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: Śatṛ-pratyaya (Present active participle/शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; ‘going’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Nandi

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as dharma-vatsala—one who cherishes and safeguards righteousness—showing that when the Lord moves in the world in His saguna form, it is to uphold dharma and guide beings toward grace (anugraha) and liberation.

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

Śiva here is envisioned in a personal, worshipful form—Mahādeva mounted on Vṛṣabha (Nandin). This supports saguna upāsanā (devotional contemplation of form), which in Śaiva Siddhānta leads the devotee toward realizing Śiva’s transcendent nature, often approached through Liṅga worship and mantra.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Nandi-sevā and Śiva-bhakti: begin Śiva worship by offering reverence to Nandi, then japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while meditating on Śiva as the protector of dharma; on Mahāśivarātri, this is commonly paired with bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and simple abhiṣeka.