Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5

जलंधरयुद्धे मायाप्रयोगः — Jalandhara’s Māyā in the Battle with Śiva

Devanagari script

क्षिप्तं प्रभुस्तं शरजालमुग्रं जलंधरेणातिबलीयसा हरः । प्रचिच्छेद शरैर्वरैर्निजैर्नचित्रमत्र त्रिभवप्रहंतुः

Transliteration

kṣiptaṃ prabhustaṃ śarajālamugraṃ jalaṃdhareṇātibalīyasā haraḥ | praciccheda śarairvarairnijairnacitramatra tribhavaprahaṃtuḥ

Translation

অতিবলৱান জালন্ধৰে নিক্ষেপ কৰা সেই ভয়ংকৰ শৰজাল প্ৰভু হৰে নিজৰ উৎকৃষ্ট শৰদ্বাৰা খণ্ড খণ্ড কৰি দিলে। ইয়াত আশ্চৰ্য কি? তেওঁ ত্ৰিভুবন-সংহাৰক।

Word by Word

• kṣiptam: thrown, hurled
• kṣiptam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣip (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; agreeing with śarajālam

• prabhuḥ: the Lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tam: that (it)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; referring to śarajālam

• śara-jālam: a net/volley of arrows
• śara-jālam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक) + jāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śarāṇāṃ jālam), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ugram: fierce
• ugram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifying śarajālam

• jalaṃdhareṇa: by Jalandhara
• jalaṃdhareṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jalaṃdhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ati-balīyasā: by the very strong (one)
• ati-balīyasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + balīyas (प्रातिपदिक; comparative)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; comparative ‘stronger/very strong’; qualifying jalaṃdhareṇa

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• praciccheda: cut to pieces, severed
• praciccheda: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + chid (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• śaraiḥ: with arrows
• śaraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• varaiḥ: excellent
• varaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; qualifying śaraiḥ

• nijaiḥ: his own
• nijaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; qualifying śaraiḥ

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• citram: a wonder
• citram: Bhava (भाव/idiomatic predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; idiom ‘na citram’ = ‘no wonder’

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• tri-bhava-prahaṃtuḥ: of the slayer of the three worlds
• tri-bhava-prahaṃtuḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + bhava (प्रातिपदिक) + pra-hantṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tribhavānāṃ prahantā), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; genitive of agent/possessor referring to Hara

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Hara)
• Jalandhara

FAQs

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

It affirms Śiva as Pati—the supreme Lord whose power transcends the three worlds; even a formidable assault (symbolizing ego and worldly might) is effortlessly neutralized by His sovereign will.

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

The verse highlights Saguna Śiva’s active lordship in protecting cosmic order; Linga-worship trains the devotee to recognize that the same supreme reality who is formless is also capable of manifest action as Hara.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Śiva as “Tripura-hantā/tribhavaprahantā” while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), offering bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and cultivating inner surrender so hostile impulses are ‘cut’ by divine awareness.