Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 48

गणेश-षण्मुखयोः विवाहविचारः / Deliberation on the Marriages of Gaṇeśa and Ṣaṇmukha

Devanagari script

तौ दंपती च विश्वेशौ पार्वतीशंकरौ तदा । इति श्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य विस्मयं परमं गता

Transliteration

tau daṃpatī ca viśveśau pārvatīśaṃkarau tadā | iti śrutvā vacastasya vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatā

Translation

Da gerieten jene göttlichen Gatten — Pārvatī und Śaṅkara, die Herren des Universums —, als sie seine Worte vernahmen, in höchstes Erstaunen.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• दंपती: the couple
• दंपती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम्पती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘husband and wife’ as a pair

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विश्वेशौ: the two Lords of the universe
• विश्वेशौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• पार्वती-शंकरौ: Pārvatī and Śaṅkara
• पार्वती-शंकरौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक) + शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotative particle

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme, great
• परमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (विस्मयम्)

• गतौ: attained, became
• गतौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; ‘became/attained’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the divine līlā of Pati (Śiva) with Śakti (Pārvatī): even the universal Lord and Lady respond with sacred wonder, reminding devotees that awe and receptivity are gateways to grace and deeper devotion.

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

By naming Śiva and Pārvatī as “Viśveśa” (Lord of the universe), the text affirms Saguna worship—approaching the transcendent through a personal form; the Liṅga similarly functions as a sacred, accessible focus for realizing the supreme Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is śravaṇa and smaraṇa: listen to Śiva-kathā and contemplate the divine couple with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating reverent wonder (vismaya) as a devotional mood.