Shloka 21

Śumbha–Niśumbha’s Mobilization After Devī’s Victories

Battle Muster and Omens

Devanagari script

विसुस्रुवू रक्तवहास्तदन्तरे सरिच्च यास्तत्र विपुप्लुवे हतैः । कचा भटानां जलनीलिकोपमास्तदुत्तरीयं सितफेनसंनिभम्

Transliteration

visusruvū raktavahāstadantare saricca yāstatra vipupluve hataiḥ | kacā bhaṭānāṃ jalanīlikopamāstaduttarīyaṃ sitaphenasaṃnibham

Translation

在那战场中间，血流成河，那里的河流因阵亡者而泛滥。战士们的头发看起来像深蓝色的水生植物，他们的上衣看起来像白色的泡沫。

Word by Word

• visusruvuḥ: flowed out; gushed forth
• visusruvuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√sru (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• raktavahāḥ: blood-carrying (streams)
• raktavahāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta + vaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); compound: rakta ‘blood’ + vaha ‘carrying/flowing’ (तत्पुरुष)

• tat: in that
• tat: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); with antare

• antare: in the midst; between
• antare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarit: river
• sarit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• yāḥ: which
• yāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place (देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• vipupluve: overflowed; surged
• vipupluve: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√plu (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• hataiḥ: by/with the slain (bodies)
• hataiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hata (√han-क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); PPP used substantively ‘the slain’

• kacāḥ: hair; locks
• kacāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhaṭānām: of the warriors
• bhaṭānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• jalanīlika-upamāḥ: like dark-blue water/indigo
• jalanīlika-upamāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jalanīlikā + upamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); compound: jalanīlikā ‘water-blue dye/indigo-like’ + upama ‘like’ (तत्पुरुष)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); with uttarīyam

• uttarīyam: upper garment; cloth
• uttarīyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttarīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• sita-phena-sannibham: resembling white foam
• sita-phena-sannibham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita + phena + sannibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); compound: sita ‘white’ + phena ‘foam’ + sannibha ‘resembling’ (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse uses stark battlefield imagery to reveal the perishability of the body and worldly power, urging vairagya (dispassion). In a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, it points the seeker from the transient pasha (bondage) of embodied life toward Pati—Lord Shiva—as the only enduring refuge.

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

By contrasting the unstable, violent flux of samsaric existence with the need for a stable spiritual anchor, the narrative indirectly supports turning to Saguna Shiva in Linga-worship—approaching the compassionate Lord through form, mantra, and devotion to transcend fear and mortality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is smarana and japa of the Panchakshara mantra—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—to cultivate detachment and steadiness. Traditional Shaiva practice may include Tripundra (bhasma) and Rudraksha as aids for remembrance of Shiva and the impermanence of the body.