Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4

अध्याय ५५ — बाणस्य पुनर्युद्धप्रवृत्तिः

Bāṇa’s Renewed Engagement in Battle

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । शृणु व्यास महाप्राज्ञ कथां च परमाद्भुताम् । कृष्णशंकरयोस्तात लोकलीलानुसारिणोः

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | śṛṇu vyāsa mahāprājña kathāṃ ca paramādbhutām | kṛṣṇaśaṃkarayostāta lokalīlānusāriṇoḥ

Translation

সনৎকুমার বললেন: হে মহাপ্রাজ্ঞ ব্যাস, কৃষ্ণ ও শঙ্করের এই পরম অদ্ভুত কথা শুনুন, যাঁরা লোক-লীলা অনুসারে নিজেদের দিব্য ক্রীড়া করেন।

Word by Word

• सनत्कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत् + कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st); एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्यास: O Vyāsa
• व्यास: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• महाप्राज्ञ: O greatly wise one
• महाप्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• परमाद्भुताम्: supremely wonderful
• परमाद्भुताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd); एकवचन; कर्मधारयः; कथाम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• कृष्णशंकरयोः: of Kṛṣṇa and Śaṅkara
• कृष्णशंकरयोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (कृष्णः च शंकरः च)

• तात: dear one, sir
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative); एकवचन

• लोकलीलानुसारिणोः: of the two who follow worldly play (divine sport)
• लोकलीलानुसारिणोः: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + लीला + अनुसारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकलीलाम् अनुसरति इति); कृष्णशंकरयोः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Vyasa
• Krishna
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the coming episode as “paramādbhutā” (supremely wondrous) and presents Kṛṣṇa and Śaṅkara as divine realities who, out of grace, participate in loka-līlā—making transcendent truth accessible to embodied beings through story.

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

By emphasizing Śaṅkara’s līlā “in accordance with the world,” the verse supports Saguna worship: Shiva compassionately assumes relatable modes for devotees—an outlook that undergirds devotion to the Liṅga as a tangible focus for approaching the transcendent Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is attentive śravaṇa (devotional listening) to Shiva-kathā; in Shaiva practice this is commonly paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to internalize the meaning of the narrative.