Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 32
हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्
The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms
सहस्रशीर्षा पुरुषस्सहस्राक्षः सहस्रपात् । स भूमिं सर्वतस्पृत्वा तदण्डं व्याप्तवानिति
sahasraśīrṣā puruṣassahasrākṣaḥ sahasrapāt | sa bhūmiṃ sarvataspṛtvā tadaṇḍaṃ vyāptavāniti
ذلك البُوروشا الكوني ذو الألف رأسٍ والألف عينٍ والألف قدمٍ، عمَّ الأرض من كل جهة؛ وبمَسِّه لها من حولها ملأ البيضة الكونية وأحاط بها إحاطةً تامّة.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa
Type: rudram
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: vyāpti (cosmic pervasion) of the puruṣa within the brahmāṇḍa
FAQs
It points to the Supreme Lord (understood in Shaiva Siddhanta as Shiva, the Pati) as the all-pervading consciousness that contains and sustains the entire brahmāṇḍa; contemplating this dissolves the sense of separateness and turns the mind toward liberation.
The verse describes Shiva’s cosmic pervasion (a Saguna pointer to the Nirguna reality). Linga-worship trains the devotee to see the one Lord present in every form—so the Linga becomes the focal symbol of the same all-encompassing Shiva who fills the universe.
A simple dhyāna is suggested: visualize Shiva as viśvavyāpaka (all-pervading) while repeating the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and offering bilva leaves or bhasma with the feeling that the entire universe is His body.