Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4

अलकापतेः तपः-लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा च वरप्राप्तिः / The Lord of Alakā: Austerity, Liṅga-Establishment, and the Receiving of a Boon

Devanagari script

भक्ति प्रभावं विज्ञाय शंभोस्तद्दीपमात्रतः । पुरा पुरारेस्संप्राप्य काशिकां चित्प्रकाशिकाम्

Transliteration

bhakti prabhāvaṃ vijñāya śaṃbhostaddīpamātrataḥ | purā purāressaṃprāpya kāśikāṃ citprakāśikām

Translation

ولمّا عُرِفَت قوّة البهاكتي نحو «شَمبهو»—ولو من علامة عبادة يسيرة كضياء مصباح—ففي الأزمنة السالفة نال المرء مدينة «كاشيكا»، مُنيرة الوعي الخالص، بوساطة «بوراري» (شيفا) عدوّ «بورا».

Word by Word

• भक्ति: devotion
• भक्ति: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular)

• प्रभावम्: power, efficacy
• प्रभावम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative singular)

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: पूर्वकाल (Pūrvakāla/Preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञाय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive), 'having known/realized'

• शंभोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभोः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive singular)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive in compound)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Pronoun used adjectivally; Neuter, Genitive singular)

• दीप-मात्रतः: merely from (its) lamp-like measure / just by a little light
• दीप-मात्रतः: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablatival source-cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दीप+मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (दीपस्य मात्रम्), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — 'from/merely by the measure of a lamp'

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: कालाधिकरण (Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—कालवाचक (indeclinable adverb of time: formerly)

• पुरारेः: of Purāri (Śiva)
• पुरारेः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive singular), शिवस्य उपनाम (epithet of Śiva)

• सम्प्राप्य: having reached
• सम्प्राप्य: पूर्वकाल (Pūrvakāla/Preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+आप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) — 'having reached/attained'

• काशिकाम्: Kāśikā (Vārāṇasī)
• काशिकाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular), नगरनाम (name of the city Kāśikā)

• चित्-प्रकाशिकाम्: that which illumines consciousness
• चित्-प्रकाशिकाम्: कर्म (Karma/Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्+प्रकाशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (चितः प्रकाशिका), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular), 'काशिकाम्' इति पदस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī is praised as cit-prakāśikā (revealer of Consciousness). Even a small act of bhakti such as offering a lamp to Śambhu is said to lead one to Kāśī by Purāri’s grace—echoing the Kāśī-kṣetra doctrine that Śiva grants taraka and liberation there.

Significance: Residence/arrival in Kāśī is portrayed as a fruit of Śiva-bhakti; Kāśī is famed for granting jñāna and (in later kṣetra theology) liberation through Śiva’s grace at death.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Purari
• Kashi

FAQs

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

It teaches that even a small act of sincere bhakti—symbolized by offering a lamp—can awaken Śiva’s grace and lead one toward Kāśī, the realm that reveals pure consciousness and supports liberation.

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

The lamp is a simple upacāra in saguna worship (such as before the Śiva-liṅga). The verse emphasizes that the inner devotion behind the offering, more than its size, draws Śiva (Purāri) and yields profound spiritual fruit.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Dīpa-dāna (lighting/offering a lamp) to Lord Śiva with bhakti—ideally alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a focused practice for purification and grace.