Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5

अध्याय ५५ — बाणस्य पुनर्युद्धप्रवृत्तिः

Bāṇa’s Renewed Engagement in Battle

Devanagari script

शयिते लीलया रुद्रे सपुत्रे सगणे सति । बाणो विनिर्गतो युद्धं कर्तुं कृष्णेन दैत्यराट्

Transliteration

śayite līlayā rudre saputre sagaṇe sati | bāṇo vinirgato yuddhaṃ kartuṃ kṛṣṇena daityarāṭ

Translation

وبينما كان رودرا مستلقيًا هناك في لِيلا هادئة، مع أبنائه ومحاطًا بغَناته، خرج بانا، ملك الديتيا، ليخوض حربًا مع كريشنا.

Word by Word

• śayite: lies down / is lying
• śayite: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śī (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/वर्तमान), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Eka-vacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• līlayā: playfully, by sport
• līlayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental/तृतीया), Eka-vacana (Singular/एकवचन); adverbial use (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)

• rudre: in/when Rudra
• rudre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Saptamī-vibhakti (Locative/सप्तमी), Eka-vacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• sa-putre: with (his) son(s)
• sa-putre: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (सह-तत्पुरुष) meaning 'with sons'; Masculine, Saptamī (Locative), Singular; agrees with rudre

• sa-gaṇe: with (his) gaṇas
• sa-gaṇe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (सह-तत्पुरुष) meaning 'with attendants/gaṇas'; Masculine, Saptamī (Locative), Singular; agrees with rudre

• sati: while (he) was / being
• sati: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-pratyaya present participle (शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त) from √as; Locative singular (सप्तमी एकवचन), Masculine; used as locative absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/सप्तमी-absolute) with rudre etc.

• bāṇaḥ: Bāṇa
• bāṇaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Eka-vacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• vinirgataḥ: went out, set forth
• vinirgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + nir + gam (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya past participle (क्त-प्रत्यय भूतकृदन्त) from √gam with prefixes vi-nir; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with bāṇaḥ

• yuddham: battle
• yuddham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā-vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Eka-vacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• kartum: to do, to wage
• kartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Tumun-infinitive (तुमुनन्त/infinitive) from √kṛ; expresses purpose (प्रयोजन)

• kṛṣṇena: by/against Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇena: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental), Eka-vacana; agent in passive sense with kta (कर्तृकरणे तृतीया)

• daityarāṭ: the demon-king
• daityarāṭ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/Genitive determinative) 'king of the daityas'; Masculine, Prathamā (Nominative), Eka-vacana; apposition to bāṇaḥ

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Krishna
• Bana
• Ganas
• Shiva's sons

FAQs

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

It shows Rudra as the sovereign witness of cosmic events: even intense conflict unfolds within Śiva’s līlā, reminding the devotee that the Supreme (Pati) remains inwardly free while governing the play of karma and power.

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

Rudra is portrayed in a saguna mode—surrounded by gaṇas and sons—making devotion concrete and relational; such imagery supports linga-worship as a focused form through which devotees approach the transcendent Nirguna reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Śiva as the steady inner Lord amid life’s battles, and pair it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to cultivate calm detachment and devotion.