Shloka 21

शारभावतारवर्णनम्

Account of Śiva’s Śārabha Manifestation and the Measureless Avatāras

Devanagari script

सायं चकर्ष देवेशो देहल्यां दैत्यपुङ्गवम् । व्योम्नि देवेषु पश्यत्सु नृसिंहश्च रमेश्वरः

Transliteration

sāyaṃ cakarṣa deveśo dehalyāṃ daityapuṅgavam | vyomni deveṣu paśyatsu nṛsiṃhaśca rameśvaraḥ

Translation

傍晚时分，众神之主将那妖魔之首拖至门槛处；当众天神在天空中注视时，化身为那罗延、罗摩之爱主的上主，在他们面前公开地执行了此事。

Word by Word

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• चकर्ष: dragged/pulled
• चकर्ष: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; parasmaipada

• देवेशः: the Lord of gods
• देवेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश (प्रातिपदिक) = देव + ईश
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देहल्याम्: on the threshold
• देहल्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक (locative)

• दैत्यपुङ्गवम्: the foremost demon
• दैत्यपुङ्गवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यपुङ्गव (प्रातिपदिक) = दैत्य + पुङ्गव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• व्योम्नि: in the sky
• व्योम्नि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• पश्यत्सु: while (they) watched
• पश्यत्सु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < दृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; ‘while (they) were seeing’

• नृसिंहः: Nṛsiṃha
• नृसिंहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृसिंह (प्रातिपदिक) = नृ + सिंह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रमेश्वरः: the Lord of Ramā (Lakṣmī)
• रमेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रमेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) = रमा + ईश्वर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; apposition to नृसिंहः

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Kālāntaka

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Narasimha
• Lakshmi
• Devas
• Daityas

FAQs

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

It highlights divine protection of dharma through a precise, fate-transcending act: the demon is slain at the “threshold,” symbolizing the Lord’s mastery over limiting conditions and the removal of the devotee’s fear at the boundary between bondage and liberation.

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

In the Shaiva Siddhanta lens, even when Viṣṇu appears as Nṛsiṃha, the protective act reflects the Supreme Lord’s saguna grace operating in form to uphold cosmic order—akin to how the Linga is worshipped as the accessible, form-bearing focus of the transcendent Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on the Lord as the inner protector at life’s “thresholds” (fear, anger, ego), repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with bhakti; at dusk (sāyam), practice japa and offer a simple lamp as a reminder of divine guardianship.