Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 64

सेवातत्त्वप्रश्नः — The Question of Whom to Serve (Sevā) for the Removal of Suffering

Devanagari script

आलम्बनं विना तस्य पदमुच्चैः सुदुष्करम् । निर्गुणप्राप्तये नॄणां प्रतिमालम्बनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

ālambanaṃ vinā tasya padamuccaiḥ suduṣkaram | nirguṇaprāptaye nṝṇāṃ pratimālambanaṃ smṛtam

Translation

من غير عونٍ يُتَّكأ عليه، يكون بلوغُ تلك المرتبة السامية بالغَ العُسر. لذلك عُلِّم الناسُ أن يتخذوا التماثيلَ المقدسة (pratimā) سندًا، ليبلغوا الحقيقة النِّرغونية (الخالية من الصفات).

Word by Word

• ālambanam: support, prop, basis
• ālambanam: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ālambana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; abstract/support noun

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-निपातः/पूर्वपद-प्रयोगः; ‘without’ (governs instrumental/ablative sense)

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case, Genitive), एकवचन

• padam: state/position/goal (spiritual step)
• padam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• uccaiḥ: highly, aloft, greatly
• uccaiḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uccaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• su-duṣkaram: very difficult
• su-duṣkaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkara (प्रातिपदिक) + su- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वप्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies padam)

• nirguṇa-prāptaye: for attaining the attributeless (state)
• nirguṇa-prāptaye: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/चतुर्थी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + prāpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case, Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (nirguṇasya prāptiḥ)

• nṝṇām: of men/people
• nṝṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case, Genitive), बहुवचन

• pratimā-ālambanam: the image as a support
• pratimā-ālambanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratimā (प्रातिपदिक) + ālambana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pratimāyāḥ ālambanam)

• smṛtam: is declared/considered
• smṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘is considered/remembered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the highest, formless realization (Nirguṇa) is difficult for embodied minds without a practical support; therefore, devotional worship with form (pratimā/ālambana) is a compassionate method leading the seeker toward the same Supreme Shiva.

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

The verse affirms Saguna worship as a legitimate spiritual aid: by focusing devotion and meditation on a sacred form—especially Shiva’s Linga or a consecrated image—the mind becomes steady and purified, eventually maturing toward Nirguṇa understanding of Shiva beyond attributes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular supported worship (ālambana-upāsanā) such as Linga/pratimā pūjā with mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and focused meditation on Shiva’s presence in the form, using the form as a concentrative aid until inner contemplation becomes subtle and formless.