Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 25

नन्दाव्रत-समाप्तिः तथा शङ्करस्य प्रत्यक्ष-दर्शनम्

Completion of the Nandā-vrata and Śiva’s Direct Appearance

Devanagari script

हरोपि हिमवत्प्रस्थं प्रविश्य च निजाश्रमम् । दाक्षायणीवियोगाद्वै कृच्छ्रध्यानपरोऽभवत्

Transliteration

haropi himavatprasthaṃ praviśya ca nijāśramam | dākṣāyaṇīviyogādvai kṛcchradhyānaparo'bhavat

Translation

Auch Hara begab sich in die Höhen des Himavat und kehrte in Seinen eigenen Āśrama zurück; und wegen der Trennung von Dakṣas Tochter (Satī) wurde Er ganz auf strenge, mühevolle Meditation ausgerichtet.

Word by Word

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also)

• हिमवत्-प्रस्थम्: the plateau/region of Himavat
• हिमवत्-प्रस्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् + प्रस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (हिमवतः प्रस्थम्)

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• प्रविश्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), धातुः विश् (प्रवेशने) उपसर्गः प्र

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

• निज-आश्रमम्: his own hermitage
• निज-आश्रमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (निजः आश्रमः)

• दाक्षायणी-वियोगात्: from separation from Dakṣāyaṇī
• दाक्षायणी-वियोगात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी + वियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (दाक्षायण्याः वियोगः) अपादान/हेत्वर्थे

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृच्छ्र-ध्यान-परः: devoted to severe meditation
• कृच्छ्र-ध्यान-परः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृच्छ्र + ध्यान + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कृच्छ्रे ध्याने परः / कृच्छ्रं ध्यानं यस्य परत्वम्) — अर्थः 'austere meditation-devoted'

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्; धातुः भू (सत्तायाम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha

Sthala Purana: Himalayan abode motif: Śiva withdraws into the Himālaya for tapas/mauna; later Kedāra traditions remember Śiva as the hidden/withdrawn Lord in the mountains (not a direct identification in this verse, but a strong thematic resonance).

Significance: Tapas and vairāgya resonance: pilgrimage framed as approaching the meditative, withdrawn Śiva who grants purification and steadiness of mind.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati
• Daksha
• Himavat (Himalaya)

FAQs

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

It portrays Śiva as the supreme Yogin who, even amid the narrative of separation from Satī, turns inward to kṛcchra-dhyāna—showing that liberation is stabilized through disciplined meditation and tapas, with the Lord as the inner refuge (Pati) for all bound souls (paśu).

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

Śiva’s return to His āśrama and absorption in meditation points to Saguna worship as a doorway to the transcendent: devotees approach the Liṅga as the accessible form of the meditating Lord, and through steady upāsanā move toward realizing His nirguṇa, all-pervading nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse emphasizes dhyāna and tapas: a practical takeaway is daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with focused meditation, supported by Śaiva disciplines like wearing rudrākṣa and applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) to cultivate steadiness of mind.