Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

धारा गंगाजलस्यैव भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदा । एतास्सर्वाश्च याः प्रोक्ता मृत्यंजयसमुद्भवाः

Transliteration

dhārā gaṃgājalasyaiva bhuktimuktiphalapradā | etāssarvāśca yāḥ proktā mṛtyaṃjayasamudbhavāḥ

Translation

إنّ مجرًى واحدًا من ماء الغانغا يمنح ثمرتي التمتّع الدنيويّ والتحرّر (الموكشا). وكلّ ما وُصف من هذه الأمور إنما ينبثق من مِرِتْيُونْجَيَا—شِيفا، قاهر الموت.

Word by Word

• dhārā: stream, flow
• dhārā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhārā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); एकवचन

• gaṅgā-jalasya: of the water of the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgā-jalasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गङ्गायाः जलम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• bhukti-mukti-phala-pradā: bestowing the fruits of enjoyment and liberation
• bhukti-mukti-phala-pradā: Karta (कर्ता) [विशेषणरूपेण]
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhukti (प्रातिपदिक) + mukti (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + pradā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (उपपद-समास: ‘फलप्रदा’ = फलम् प्रददाति; भुक्ति-मुक्ति-फलाणां प्रदा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धारायाः)

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) [विशेषण]
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (एताः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• yāḥ: which
• yāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• proktāḥ: said, declared
• proktāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) [वर्णिताः/उक्ताः]
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• mṛtyuṃjaya-samudbhavāḥ: arisen from Mṛtyuṃjaya (Śiva)
• mṛtyuṃjaya-samudbhavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) [विशेषण]
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyuṃjaya (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मृत्युञ्जयात् समुद्भवाः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (एताः/याः)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse praises Gaṅgā-jala as intrinsically salvific (bhukti–mukti) and grounds its efficacy in Mṛtyuñjaya Śiva, implying that tīrtha-power is ultimately Śiva’s grace operating through sacred waters.

Significance: Even minimal contact/usage of Gaṅgā-water is said to yield both dharmic prosperity (bhukti) and liberation (mukti), framing pilgrimage merit as Śiva-anugraha rather than mere physical act.

Mantra Metadata

Type: mahamrityunjaya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mṛtyuñjaya
• Gaṅgā

FAQs

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

It declares that Gaṅgā-jala is not merely purifying but fruit-giving—granting both bhukti and mukti—because its sanctity ultimately springs from Śiva as Mṛtyuñjaya, whose grace overcomes death and bondage.

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

In Saguna worship, offering Gaṅgā-water to the Shiva Liṅga is a direct act of bhakti; the verse frames the offering’s power as Śiva-derived (Mṛtyuñjaya-samudbhava), emphasizing that the Liṅga is the accessible form through which Śiva’s liberating grace is received.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is abhiṣeka of the Shiva Liṅga with Gaṅgā-jala while remembering Mṛtyuñjaya—commonly paired with japa of the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra for protection, purification, and liberation-oriented devotion.