Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 31

तारक-कुमार-युद्धवर्णनम् / Description of the Battle between Tāraka and Kumāra

Devanagari script

पपात सद्यस्सहसा विशीर्णांगोऽसुरः क्षितौ । तारकाख्यो महावीरस्सर्वासुरगणाधिपः

Transliteration

papāta sadyassahasā viśīrṇāṃgo'suraḥ kṣitau | tārakākhyo mahāvīrassarvāsuragaṇādhipaḥ

Translation

তৎক্ষণাৎ সেই অসুৰ—অঙ্গ-প্ৰত্যঙ্গ চূৰ্ণ-বিচূৰ্ণ হৈ—পৃথিৱীত পৰি গ’ল; সি মহাবীৰ তাৰক, সকলো অসুৰগণৰ অধিপতি।

Word by Word

• papāta: fell
• papāta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• sahasā: suddenly, forcefully
• sahasā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; रीति/प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• viśīrṇa-aṅgaḥ: whose limbs were shattered
• viśīrṇa-aṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशीर्ण (कृदन्त; √शॄ/शॄङ् धातु) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘विशीर्णानि अङ्गानि यस्य सः’ (one whose limbs are shattered)

• asuraḥ: the demon
• asuraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• kṣitau: on the earth/ground
• kṣitau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of place)

• tāraka-ākhyaḥ: named Tāraka
• tāraka-ākhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (नामधारक/उपपद); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तारक इति आख्यः’ (named Tāraka)

• mahā-vīraḥ: the great hero
• mahā-vīraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-asura-gaṇa-adhipaḥ: lord of all the demon hosts
• sarva-asura-gaṇa-adhipaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सर्वेषां असुराणां गणस्य अधिपः’ (lord of the host of all demons)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Kālāntaka

Characters & Entities

• Tārakāsura
• Asuras

FAQs

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

Tāraka’s sudden collapse symbolizes the inevitable fall of adharma when confronted by divine order; in Shaiva Siddhanta, it reflects Pati (the Lord’s power working through His divine agency) breaking pasha—pride, violence, and egoic domination that bind the soul.

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

Though the verse is a battlefield description, its theological backdrop is Saguna Shiva’s protection of cosmic balance—Shiva’s will manifests through His divine forces, guiding devotees to seek refuge in Shiva (often worshiped as the Linga) as the stabilizing center beyond chaos and demonic tendencies.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to cultivate surrender and purification: japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and a Rudrākṣa mala, contemplating the ‘fall of ego’ as the inner Tāraka being brought down by Shiva’s grace.