Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 16

हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्

The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms

Devanagari script

यद्दिनं हि समारभ्य तद्रूपं धृतवान्हरिः । तद्दिनं प्रति कल्पोऽसौ कल्पो वाराहसंज्ञकः

Transliteration

yaddinaṃ hi samārabhya tadrūpaṃ dhṛtavānhariḥ | taddinaṃ prati kalpo'sau kalpo vārāhasaṃjñakaḥ

Translation

Von dem Tag an, da Hari (Viṣṇu) jene Gestalt annahm, wird dieser Äon von eben diesem Tag an gerechnet; und dieser Kalpa ist unter dem Namen „Vārāha-Kalpa“ bekannt.

Word by Word

• यत्-दिनम्: which day
• यत्-दिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (यद् एव दिनम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात-अव्यय (indeed)

• समारभ्य: starting from
• समारभ्य: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund); ‘having begun/starting from’

• तत्-रूपम्: that form
• तत्-रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• धृतवान्: having assumed/held
• धृतवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (Perfect participle, active); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्-दिनम्: that day
• तत्-दिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: with reference to
• प्रति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय; ‘towards/with reference to’; here governing accusative

• कल्पः: aeon/kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असौ: that (aforementioned)
• असौ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कल्पः: kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-बल (emphatic repetition)

• वाराह-संज्ञकः: named ‘Vārāha’
• वाराह-संज्ञकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वाराह इति संज्ञा यस्य)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kalpa nomenclature: ‘Vārāha Kalpa’ reckoned from the avatāra’s assumption of form

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hari
• Varaha

FAQs

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

It situates sacred history within cosmic time: the kalpa is named after a divine act (Viṣṇu’s Vārāha form), showing that cosmic cycles are marked by purposeful interventions that uphold dharma—within the Shaiva view, all such order ultimately operates under Mahādeva’s supreme governance.

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

By naming the kalpa through a manifest form (saguṇa) of the Divine, the verse supports the Purāṇic principle that devotees approach transcendent reality through sacred forms and events—parallel to how the Śiva-liṅga serves as an accessible, worshipful manifestation pointing to Śiva beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is kāla-smaraṇa (contemplation of sacred time): begin japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while remembering the present kalpa as divinely ordered, and dedicate daily worship (liṅga-arcana with bhasma/tripuṇḍra if practiced) to align one’s actions with dharma.