Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 36

सृष्टिक्रमवर्णनम् / Description of the Sequence of Creation

Devanagari script

वामांगो यस्य वैकुंठो दक्षिणांगोऽहमेव च । रुद्रो हृदयजो यस्य त्रिविधस्तु शिवः स्मृतः

Transliteration

vāmāṃgo yasya vaikuṃṭho dakṣiṇāṃgo'hameva ca | rudro hṛdayajo yasya trividhastu śivaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Er, dessen linke Seite Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu) ist, dessen rechte Seite ich selbst (Brahmā) bin, und aus dessen Herzen Rudra geboren wird—ein solcher Herr wird als Śiva in dreifacher Manifestation erinnert.

Word by Word

• vāma-aṅgaḥ: the left limb/side
• vāma-aṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: “वामम् अङ्गम्”

• yasya: of whom/whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• vaikuṇṭhaḥ: Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu)
• vaikuṇṭhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaikuṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dakṣiṇa-aṅgaḥ: the right limb/side
• dakṣiṇa-aṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: “दक्षिणम् अङ्गम्”

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hṛdaya-jaḥ: heart-born
• hṛdaya-jaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: “हृदयात् जातः” (born from the heart)

• yasya: of whom
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive relative)

• tri-vidhaḥ: threefold
• tri-vidhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-भाव: “त्रयः विधाः यस्य/यः” = threefold

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis particle)

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• smṛtaḥ: is called/considered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “is called/remembered”

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-level emanation of trimūrti roles (conceptual cosmogenesis)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Rudra

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as the supreme, threefold reality in whom the cosmic functions appear: preservation as Viṣṇu, creation as Brahmā, and dissolution as Rudra—yet Shiva remains the auspicious Pati who transcends these roles.

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

By identifying all divine functions as residing in Shiva, the verse supports Saguna worship—especially Linga-upāsanā—as worship of the single Lord who contains and governs the Trimurti, leading the devotee toward knowledge of his transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Shiva as the indwelling source of creation, preservation, and dissolution while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”; offer bilva leaves to the Linga with the intent of surrendering all actions to the one Pati.