Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 14

देवस्तुतिः—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्वं, मायाशक्तिः, कर्मफलप्रदातृत्वं च

Devas’ Hymn: Śiva as Parabrahman, Māyā-Śakti, and Giver of Karmic Fruits

Devanagari script

ओंकारस्त्वं वषट्कारस्सर्वारंभप्रवर्तकः । हंतकास्स्वधाकारो हव्यकव्यान्नभुक् सदा

Transliteration

oṃkārastvaṃ vaṣaṭkārassarvāraṃbhapravartakaḥ | haṃtakāssvadhākāro havyakavyānnabhuk sadā

Translation

Du bist die heilige Silbe Oṃ; Du bist der vaṣaṭ-Ruf, der die Opfergaben wirksam macht, der Anstoß jedes heiligen Beginns. Du bist der haṃtā-Ruf und die svadhā-Anrufung; ewig bist Du der Empfänger und Teilhaber der Havya-Opfer für die Devas und der Kavya-Gaben für die Ahnen.

Word by Word

• oṃkāraḥ: Oṃkāra
• oṃkāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṃ-kāra (प्रातिपदिक; ओम् + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (the syllable/utterance 'oṃ')

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vaṣaṭkāraḥ: Vaṣaṭkāra
• vaṣaṭkāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṣaṭ-kāra (प्रातिपदिक; वषट् + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (the exclamation 'vaṣaṭ')

• sarvārambhapravartakaḥ: starter of all beginnings
• sarvārambhapravartakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-ārambha-pravartaka (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + आरम्भ + प्रवर्तक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (initiator of all undertakings)

• haṃtakāḥ: Haṃtkāra (the utterance ‘haṃt’)
• haṃtakāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃt-kāra (प्रातिपदिक; हंत्/हं + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (पाठभेदे प्रथमा-बहुवचन सम्भव); तत्पुरुष-समास (the exclamation 'haṃt/haṃ')

• svadhākāraḥ: Svadhākāra
• svadhākāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svadhā-kāra (प्रातिपदिक; स्वधा + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (the utterance ‘svadhā’)

• havyakavyānnabhuk: eater of havya and kavya offerings
• havyakavyānnabhuk: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havya-kavya-anna-bhuj (प्रातिपदिक; हव्य + कव्य + अन्न + भुज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (eater/consumer of the food of havya and kavya offerings)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sati (addressing Lord Shiva in praise)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: The verse identifies Śiva with Oṃkāra and Vedic sacrificial utterances; Oṃkāreśvara’s sthala tradition centers on Oṃ as Śiva’s very form and the liṅga as the manifest Oṃ-principle on the Narmadā island.

Significance: Pilgrimage and japa of Oṃ with Śiva-bhāva are held to purify speech and karma; aligns with Siddhānta view that mantra and kriyā are empowered by Pati through śakti.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃkārastvaṃ vaṣaṭkārassarvāraṃbhapravartakaḥ | haṃtakāssvadhākāro havyakavyānnabhuk sadā

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Omkara (Om)

FAQs

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

It identifies Shiva as the very power within mantra and sacrifice—Oṃ and the ritual utterances—showing that all sacred beginnings and their fruits ultimately rest in Pati (Shiva), the supreme Lord who inwardly receives every offering.

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

In Saguna worship, offerings to the Shiva-liṅga are not merely symbolic; this verse frames Shiva as the real recipient behind all external rites. The liṅga becomes the focused support (ālambana) for approaching the same Shiva who is also Oṃkāra, the subtle ground of worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Begin worship and japa by centering on Oṃ (praṇava) and offering with the feeling that Shiva is the inner enjoyer of the rite; this supports disciplined pūjā, mantra-japa (including Panchākṣarī), and a reverent start to all spiritual undertakings.