Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 11

त्रिपुरदीक्षाविधानम् — Tripura Dīkṣā: Prescriptive Procedure

Chapter on the Ordinance of Initiation

Devanagari script

अपभ्रंशमयं शास्त्रं कर्मवादमयं तथा । रचयेति प्रयत्नेन तद्विस्तारो भविष्यति

Transliteration

apabhraṃśamayaṃ śāstraṃ karmavādamayaṃ tathā | racayeti prayatnena tadvistāro bhaviṣyati

Translation

«صُنِّفْ شاسترا مملوءةً بالكلام المُبتذَل المنحرف، ومشبعةً كذلك بمذهبٍ يُعظِّم مجرّد الفعل الطقسي؛ افعل ذلك باجتهاد—فعندئذٍ سينتشر أثرُها انتشارًا واسعًا لا محالة»۔

Word by Word

• अपभ्रंश-मयम्: consisting of Apabhraṃśa
• अपभ्रंश-मयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपभ्रंश (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे: अपभ्रंशेन/अपभ्रंशस्य मयम् = ‘made of/consisting of’

• शास्त्रम्: treatise/scripture
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• कर्मवाद-मयम्: full of doctrine of ritual action
• कर्मवाद-मयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्मवाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कर्मवादस्य मयम्

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (तथार्थक)

• रचय: compose
• रचय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रच् (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, imperative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), quotative particle (इत्यर्थक)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental 3rd (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• तत्-विस्तारः: its expansion/elaboration
• तत्-विस्तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तस्य विस्तारः

• भविष्यति: will be/will happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Yuddhakhaṇḍa account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns that teachings grounded in corrupted expression and mere ritualism can spread quickly, implying that true liberation in Shaiva thought requires right knowledge and Shiva-bhakti, not only external acts.

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

Linga/Saguna worship is meant to awaken devotion and inner purification; this verse cautions against reducing worship to mechanical karma alone, disconnected from reverence for Shiva as Pati (the liberating Lord).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to pair any ritual with Shiva-centered devotion and mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), avoiding hollow performance done only for karmic reward.