Shloka 44

Viśvānara-Gṛhapati Upākhyāna — Śivasya Agni-gṛhe Avatāraḥ

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

Devanagari script

रज्जो सर्पश्शुक्तिकायां च रौप्यं नैरः पूरस्तन्मृगाख्ये मरीचौ । यद्यत्सद्वद्विष्वगेव प्रपञ्चो यस्मिञ्ज्ञाते तम्प्रपद्ये महेशम्

Transliteration

rajjo sarpaśśuktikāyāṃ ca raupyaṃ nairaḥ pūrastanmṛgākhye marīcau | yadyatsadvadviṣvageva prapañco yasmiñjñāte tamprapadye maheśam

Translation

如绳误认作蛇，蚌母误认作银，海市蜃楼误认作水，空中之城误认作真实；同样，这纷繁世界处处显现，仿佛确实存在。唯有凭其真实智见而了知并消融此迷妄者——那位摩诃伊湿伐罗（Maheśa，摩诃提婆）——我归依于他。

Word by Word

• रज्जौ: in a rope
• रज्जौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रज्जु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• सर्पः: a snake
• सर्पः: Karta (कर्ता; apparent superimposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• शुक्तिकायाम्: in mother-of-pearl
• शुक्तिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्तिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction; and)

• रौप्यम्: silver
• रौप्यम्: Karta (कर्ता; apparent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• नीरः: water
• नीरः: Karta (कर्ता; apparent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• पूरः: a city
• पूरः: Karta (कर्ता; apparent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• तत्-मृग-आख्ये: in the so-called ‘deer’ (mirage)
• तत्-मृग-आख्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मृग (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (निर्देश: तत् मृग-आख्यः = मृगतृष्णिका); नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• मरीचौ: in a sun-ray (mirage)
• मरीचौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• यत्-यत्: whatever
• यत्-यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: यद्यत् इति युग्म-सम्बन्धे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; 'whatever' (correlative)

• सत्-वत्: as if real
• सत्-वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; 'as if real'

• विष्वक्: everywhere
• विष्वक्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विष्वक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सर्वत्रार्थक (indeclinable; everywhere)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/only)

• प्रपञ्चः: the phenomenal world
• प्रपञ्चः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• यस्मिन्: in whom/when
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंस, सप्तमी, एकवचन (locative singular)

• ज्ञाते: when (he is) known
• ज्ञाते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंस, सप्तमी, एकवचन; 'when known/once known'

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म; object of प्रपद्ये)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

• प्रपद्ये: I surrender
• प्रपद्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पद् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (I take refuge)

• महेशम्: Mahēśa
• महेशम्: Karma (कर्म; apposition to तम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva philosophical teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the world’s apparent solidity is like a misperception (rope-snake, shell-silver); liberation comes by knowing Maheśa as the Pati (Supreme Lord) whose knowledge removes this भ्रम and reveals the true reality.

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

Linga-worship trains the mind to move from outer appearances to the inner Reality—Śiva as the substratum of all names and forms—so that devotion (bhakti) matures into clear knowledge (jñāna) of Maheśa beyond mere worldly projection.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as the underlying truth while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), using vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and steady japa to cut misperception and rest in surrender to Maheśa.