Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 34

दिव्यरथारोहणम् — Śiva’s Ascent on the Divine Chariot

Pre-battle Portents

Devanagari script

केशो विगतवासश्च महाकेशो महाज्वरः । सोमवल्लीसवर्णश्च सोमदस्सनकस्तथा

Transliteration

keśo vigatavāsaśca mahākeśo mahājvaraḥ | somavallīsavarṇaśca somadassanakastathā

Translation

هو كيشا (Keśa)؛ المتلألئُ بخُصلاتٍ مقدّسة. وهو فيغتاڤاسا (Vigatavāsa)؛ المتحرّرُ من أستار الدنيا وتعلّقاتها. وهو مهاكيشا (Mahākeśa)؛ ذو الشعرِ الملبّد العظيم، وهو مهاجڤارا (Mahājvara)؛ «الحمّى العظمى» التي تُشعل وتُزيل احتراقَ السَّمْسارا. لونه كلونِ كرمةِ السُّوما، وهو سوما-دا (Soma-da) مانحُ السُّوما، نعمةً كالرحيق؛ وهو أيضًا سَنَكَ (Sanaka)، الربُّ الحكيمُ الدائمُ الفتوة.

Word by Word

• केशः: Keśa (name)
• केशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विगतवासाः: unclad (one whose garment is gone)
• विगतवासाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विगत + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि ‘whose clothing is gone’ (naked/unclad)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• महाकेशः: Mahākeśa (name)
• महाकेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘महान् केशः’

• महाज्वरः: Mahājvara (name)
• महाज्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘महान् ज्वरः’

• सोमवल्लीसवर्णः: having the color of the soma-creeper
• सोमवल्लीसवर्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोमवल्ली + सवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सोमवल्ल्या सवर्णः’ = ‘of the same color as the soma-creeper’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• सोमदः: Somada (name)
• सोमदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सनकः: Sanaka (name)
• सनकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = ‘also/likewise’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana’s account to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: केशो विगतवासश्च महाकेशो महाज्वरः । सोमवल्लीसवर्णश्च सोमदस्सनकस्तथा

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sanaka
• Soma

FAQs

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

The verse presents Shiva’s names as contemplative gateways: His ascetic transcendence (Vigatavāsa), His cosmic power (Mahākeśa), and His capacity to both manifest and dissolve suffering (Mahājvara), culminating in grace as nectar (Somada).

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

These epithets support Saguna-upāsanā: devotees worship the Linga while meditating on Shiva’s attributes—ascetic sovereignty, cosmic heat, and compassion—so the mind becomes steady and receptive to His anugraha (liberating grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is nāma-japa: chant these Shiva-nāmas (or the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while visualizing Shiva with matted locks and cool Soma-like radiance, praying for the burning of afflictions (jvara) to be pacified by His grace.