Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 86

सेवातत्त्वप्रश्नः — The Question of Whom to Serve (Sevā) for the Removal of Suffering

Devanagari script

तस्माच्च पूजयेद्देवं शंकरं लोकशंकरम् । सर्वकामफलावाप्त्यै सर्वभूतहिते रतः

Transliteration

tasmācca pūjayeddevaṃ śaṃkaraṃ lokaśaṃkaram | sarvakāmaphalāvāptyai sarvabhūtahite rataḥ

Translation

Darum soll man den Gott Śaṅkara verehren, der den Welten Heil und Glück verheißt. Dem Wohl aller Wesen zugewandt, erlangt man durch diese Verehrung die Früchte jedes rechten Wunsches.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — Ablative singular (hence/therefore)

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

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — Optative 3sg; परस्मैपद (impersonal injunction: ‘one should worship’)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara
• शंकरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular (apposition to देवम्)

• लोक-शंकरम्: the benefactor of the world
• लोक-शंकरम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular; तत्पुरुष (‘benefactor of the world’)

• सर्व-काम-फल-अवाप्त्यै: for the attainment of the fruits of all desires
• सर्व-काम-फल-अवाप्त्यै: सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + अवाप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/चतुर्थी), एकवचन — Dative singular; प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose: ‘for attainment’)

• सर्व-भूत-हिते: in the welfare of all beings
• सर्व-भूत-हिते: अधिकरण (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular; विषयाधिकरणे (‘in/with regard to the welfare of all beings’)

• रतः: (one who is) devoted/engaged
• रतः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘engaged/devoted’

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī (narrating the teaching of the Rudra Saṃhitā to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: General phalaśruti: Śaṅkara-pūjā grants sarva-kāma-phala (legitimate aims) and promotes sarva-bhūta-hita, aligning personal welfare with universal auspiciousness.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva (Śaṅkara) is universally auspicious and that true devotion is inseparable from compassion—being intent on the good of all beings. Such worship aligns the devotee with Śiva’s grace, making both spiritual uplift and legitimate life-goals attainable.

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

Calling Śiva “Loka-Śaṅkara” emphasizes Saguna worship—approaching Śiva as the gracious Lord who blesses the worlds. In practice this is expressed through Śiva-pūjā, commonly via Liṅga-arcana, where the devotee honours the manifest form while seeking the Lord who transcends form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse broadly enjoins Śiva-pūjā; a practical takeaway is regular Liṅga worship with mantra-japa (especially Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), performed with a vow of non-harm and active goodwill toward all beings, since “sarvabhūta-hita” is presented as the inner discipline of the worshipper.