Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 8

युद्धप्रारम्भवर्णनम् — Description of the Commencement of Battle

Devanagari script

कुमारं च पुरस्कृत्य सर्वे ते जातसाध्वसाः । योद्धुकामास्सुरा जग्मुर्महीसागरसंगमम्

Transliteration

kumāraṃ ca puraskṛtya sarve te jātasādhvasāḥ | yoddhukāmāssurā jagmurmahīsāgarasaṃgamam

Translation

Kumāra an die Spitze stellend, brachen all jene Asuras—nun von Furcht ergriffen—kampfbegierig zur Mündung auf, wo die Erde dem Ozean begegnet.

Word by Word

• कुमारम्: Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

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

• पुरस्कृत्य: having put (him) in front
• पुरस्कृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: puras-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having placed in front/having made leader’

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun; Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• जातसाध्वसाः: having become fearful
• जातसाध्वसाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāta + sādhvasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (जातं साध्वसं येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• योद्धुकामाः: desiring to fight
• योद्धुकामाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoddhu (tumun from yudh) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (योद्धुं कामः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

• महीसागरसंगमम्: to the meeting-place of earth and ocean (shore)
• महीसागरसंगमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī + sāgara + saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मही-सागरयोः संगमः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda/Kartikeya)
• Asuras

FAQs

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

It shows how adharma, even when outwardly aggressive, is inwardly shaken by the presence of divine order—Kumāra symbolizes Shiva’s protective power that restores dharma.

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

Kumāra is a Saguna manifestation within Shiva’s cosmic governance; the verse supports the Purana’s theme that devotion to Shiva (often through Linga worship) brings divine protection and the subduing of hostile forces.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate fearlessness through japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” while remembering Shiva’s protective presence expressed through Kumāra as the guardian of dharma.