Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 72

भद्रस्य दिव्यरथारोहणं शङ्खनादश्च — Bhadra’s Divine Chariot-Ascent and the Conch-Blast

Devanagari script

सस्मुत्पथप्रस्थितमप्रधृष्यो विक्षिप्य दक्षाध्वरमक्षतास्त्रैः । बभौ गणेशस्स गणेश्वराणां मध्ये स्थितः सिंह इवर्षभाणाम्

Transliteration

sasmutpathaprasthitamapradhṛṣyo vikṣipya dakṣādhvaramakṣatāstraiḥ | babhau gaṇeśassa gaṇeśvarāṇāṃ madhye sthitaḥ siṃha ivarṣabhāṇām

Translation

他不可战胜、不可撼动，以百发百中的神兵击溃并驱散达克沙的祭祀。于是，伽内沙在众伽那之主中熠熠生辉，宛如雄狮立于群牛之间。

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• samutpatha-prasthitam: gone astray; deviated (from the right path)
• samutpatha-prasthitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samutpatha (प्रातिपदिक) + prasthita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; pra√sthā 'to set out')
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) compound; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifying 'dakṣādhvaram'

• apradhṛṣyaḥ: invincible; unassailable
• apradhṛṣyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + pradhṛṣya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; pra√dhṛṣ 'to overpower')
• Form: Kṛdanta used adjectivally; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; negative prefix a-; 'not to be overpowered'

• vikṣipya: having scattered; having disrupted
• vikṣipya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√kṣip (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta, Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), 'having scattered/overthrown'

• dakṣa-adhvaram: Dakṣa's sacrifice
• dakṣa-adhvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• akṣata-astraiḥ: with unbroken weapons
• akṣata-astraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक) + astra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Neuter (astra), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); akṣata = 'unbroken/unharmed'

• babhau: shone; appeared splendid
• babhau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (धातु)
• Form: Tinganta, Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular

• gaṇeśaḥ: Gaṇeśa
• gaṇeśaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; appositional repetition

• gaṇeśvarāṇām: of the lords of the gaṇas
• gaṇeśvarāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; used as postposition-like 'in the midst'

• sthitaḥ: standing; situated
• sthitaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) / Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta, Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• siṃhaḥ: a lion
• siṃhaḥ: Upameya (उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; upamā (simile) predicate

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, simile particle (उपमावाचक)

• ṛṣabhāṇām: of bulls
• ṛṣabhāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Characters & Entities

• Ganesha
• Daksha

FAQs

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

It portrays how a yajña driven by pride and deviation from devotion to Pati (Śiva) becomes “wrong-path” (utpatha); divine order reasserts itself through Śiva’s gaṇas, teaching that spiritual acts without humility and right orientation to Śiva do not bear liberating fruit.

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

Dakṣa’s ritual symbolizes external religiosity divorced from recognition of Śiva as the supreme Lord; the verse reinforces that true worship—whether of the Liṅga or Saguna Śiva—must be grounded in surrender and reverence to Śiva, not in status, control, or mere ritual display.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to perform worship with Śiva-bhakti and humility—reciting the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), offering with purity of intent, and avoiding ego in ritual; the verse cautions that outer rites should be supported by inner alignment to Śiva.