Shloka 1

Arjuna–Gaṇa Saṃvāda: Bāṇādhikāra, Tāpasa-veṣa, and the Ethics of Tapas (अर्जुन-गणसंवादः)

Devanagari script

नन्दीश्वर उवाच । सनत्कुमार सर्वज्ञ शृणु लीलाम्परात्मनः । भक्तवात्सल्यसंयुक्तां तद्दृढत्वविदर्भिताम्

Transliteration

nandīśvara uvāca | sanatkumāra sarvajña śṛṇu līlāmparātmanaḥ | bhaktavātsalyasaṃyuktāṃ taddṛḍhatvavidarbhitām

Translation

Nandīśvara nói: Hỡi Sanatkumāra, bậc toàn tri, hãy lắng nghe cuộc hí lộng của Đại Ngã Tối Thượng—thấm đượm lòng thương yêu đối với người sùng kính, và được bày dựng để làm hiển lộ sự kiên định vững bền của lòng bhakti ấy.

Word by Word

• nandīśvaraḥ: Nandīśvara
• nandīśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa (तत्पुरुष), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच्)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana

• sanat-kumāra: O Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāra: Sambodhyā (सम्बोध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya samāsa, Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• sarva-jña: O all-knowing one
• sarva-jña: Sambodhyā (सम्बोध्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक from √jñā ज्ञा)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa, Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of sanat-kumāra

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु)
• Form: Loṭ lakāra (Imperative/लोट्), Madhyama puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यम), Ekavacana

• līlām: the divine play
• līlām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• parātmanaḥ: of the Supreme Self
• parātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (para-ātman), Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• bhakta-vātsalya-saṃyuktām: endowed with affection for devotees
• bhakta-vātsalya-saṃyuktām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vātsalya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त, √yuj युज् + sam-)
• Form: (bhakta-vātsalya)-tatpuruṣa + saṃyukta; Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of līlām

• tat-dṛḍhatva-vidarbhitām: made firm/embellished by that steadfastness
• tat-dṛḍhatva-vidarbhitām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dṛḍhatva (प्रातिपदिक) + vidarbhita (कृदन्त, √dṛbh/√darbh? denom. ‘to embellish/strengthen’)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa; Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of līlām

Speaker

Nandishvara (Nandi)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Nandishvara (Nandi)
• Sanatkumara
• Shiva (as Paratman)

FAQs

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

It frames Shiva’s līlā as a deliberate revelation of bhakta-vātsalya (divine love for devotees) and the power of dṛḍha-bhakti—steadfast devotion that matures the soul (paśu) toward Shiva (Pati).

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

By calling the Supreme Self a source of līlā, the verse supports Saguna worship (such as Śiva-liṅga pūjā) as a compassionate, accessible mode through which devotees approach and realize the transcendent Parātman.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The key takeaway is cultivating firm bhakti through regular Śiva-pūjā and japa—especially the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—with steady daily discipline and heartfelt remembrance.