Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 1

कैलासगमनं कुबेरसख्यं च — Śiva’s Journey to Kailāsa and His Friendship with Kubera

Devanagari script

प्रत्यहं तस्य जननी सुतं गुणनिधिं मृदु । शास्ति स्नेहार्द्रहृदया ह्युपवेश्य स्म नारद

Transliteration

pratyahaṃ tasya jananī sutaṃ guṇanidhiṃ mṛdu | śāsti snehārdrahṛdayā hyupaveśya sma nārada

Translation

O Nārada, jeden Tag setzte seine Mutter — sanft und im Herzen durch Liebe erweicht — ihren Sohn, diesen milden Schatz der Tugenden, zu sich und unterwies und züchtigte ihn liebevoll.

Word by Word

• prati-aham: every day
• prati-aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (प्रति-अव्यय) + ahan (अहन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial compound (अव्ययीभाव), ‘every day’

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• jananī: mother
• jananī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (जननी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sutam: son
• sutam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (सुत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• guṇa-nidhim: treasure of virtues
• guṇa-nidhim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (गुण-प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (निधि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘treasure of virtues’

• mṛdu: gentle
• mṛdu: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛdu (मृदु-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with sutam (as epithet)

• śāsti: instructs / disciplines
• śāsti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śās (शास्-धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• snehārdra-hṛdayā: tender-hearted with affection
• snehārdra-hṛdayā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sneha (स्नेह-प्रातिपदिक) + ārdra (आर्द्र-प्रातिपदिक) + hṛdaya (हृदय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहि ‘whose heart is moist/tender with affection’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि-अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक)

• upaveśya: having seated
• upaveśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: viś (विश्-धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिजन्त; upa-viśayati) + Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having seated (him)’

• sma: (in past narration)
• sma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; tense marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (स्म-अव्यय)
• Form: Past/narrative particle (अव्यय; भूतार्थे/स्मरणार्थे)

• nārada: O Nārada
• nārada: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (नारद-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating to Nārada)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mother (jananī)
• Son (suta)

FAQs

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

It highlights saṃskāra—daily formative guidance—showing that steady, affectionate discipline cultivates guṇa (virtue) and prepares the mind for bhakti and right knowledge, which in Shaiva Siddhānta support the soul’s progress toward Shiva’s grace.

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

While the verse is about upbringing, it implies that regular, seated instruction and disciplined conduct are the foundation for consistent Saguna Shiva worship—daily pūjā, mantra-japa, and reverent service—done with softness of heart rather than harshness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A daily seated practice: sit at a fixed time for mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’) with gentle self-discipline and a loving devotional mood, supporting steadiness in worship.