Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 39

कुमाराभिषेकवर्णनम् — Description of Kumāra’s Abhiṣeka

Consecration/Installation

Devanagari script

वेदमंत्राभिपूतैश्च सर्वतीर्थोदपूर्णकैः । सद्रत्नकुंभशतकैः स्नापया मास तं मुदा

Transliteration

vedamaṃtrābhipūtaiśca sarvatīrthodapūrṇakaiḥ | sadratnakuṃbhaśatakaiḥ snāpayā māsa taṃ mudā

Translation

Dann ließ er ihn voller Freude rituell baden (abhiṣeka) mit Hunderten glückverheißender, mit Edelsteinen geschmückter Krüge, gefüllt mit Wasser aus allen heiligen Tīrthas und durch vedische Mantras geweiht—so vollzog er einen vollständigen, durch Mantra gereinigten Abhiṣeka nach dem heiligen Ritus Śivas.

Word by Word

• वेदमन्त्राभिपूतैः: with (those) purified by Vedic mantras
• वेदमन्त्राभिपूतैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + मन्त्र + अभि + पूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त ‘पूत’ (purified) with उपसर्ग ‘अभि’; समास: वेदमन्त्रैः अभिपूतैः (instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• सर्वतीर्थोदपूर्णकैः: with (vessels) filled with water from all sacred places
• सर्वतीर्थोदपूर्णकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + तीर्थ + उदक + पूर्णक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समास: सर्वतीर्थोदकैः पूर्णकैः (filled with water from all tīrthas)

• सद्रत्नकुम्भशतकैः: with hundreds of fine jeweled pots
• सद्रत्नकुम्भशतकैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + रत्न + कुम्भ + शतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समास: सत्-रत्न-कुम्भ-शतक (hundreds of good jeweled pots)

• स्नापयामास: bathed (him) / caused to be bathed
• स्नापयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नापयामास (णिच्-प्रयोग)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद; periphrastic perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच् causative: ‘to cause to bathe’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Hetu/Prayojana (हेतु/भावकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्/मुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; भाववाचक (instrumental of manner)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Kartikeya
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights abhiṣeka as a Shaiva act of consecration: when water is sanctified by Vedic mantra and offered with devotion, the rite becomes a means of inner purification and surrender to Pati (Śiva), aligning the worshipper toward grace and liberation.

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

The verse reflects Saguna worship through ritual bathing (snāna/abhiṣeka), where Śiva is approached in an accessible, worshipful form; the use of tīrtha-water and mantra indicates that external offerings are meant to awaken inward reverence and steady bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-suddha abhiṣeka: perform ceremonial bathing with sanctified water while reciting Vedic hymns or the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), treating the act as focused meditation and devotion rather than mere outward ritual.