Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

किं चकार हरस्तत्र परिपूर्णः शिवाकृतिः । एतत्सर्वं समाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं मम

Transliteration

kiṃ cakāra harastatra paripūrṇaḥ śivākṛtiḥ | etatsarvaṃ samācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ mama

Translation

„Was tat Hara dort, da er vollkommen ist und in der Gestalt Śivas selbst offenbar? Berichte mir alles ausführlich, denn meine Neugier ist überaus groß.“

Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter Accusative Singular; interrogative used adverbially (‘what?’)

• cakāra: did
• cakāra: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Tinganta, Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person Singular

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, locative adverb

• paripūrṇaḥ: fully complete
• paripūrṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paripūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative Singular

• śiva-ākṛtiḥ: (one) of Śiva-form
• śiva-ākṛtiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ākṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: śiva-ākṛti ‘Śiva-form/appearance’; Feminine Nominative Singular

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun-adjective, Neuter Accusative Singular

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter Accusative Singular

• samācakṣva: tell/explain
• samācakṣva: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: Tinganta, Imperative (लोट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष) Singular

• param: great/supreme
• param: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter Accusative Singular

• kautūhalam: curiosity
• kautūhalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kautūhala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative Singular

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular

Speaker

Narada

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights the devotee-seeker’s reverent inquiry: even though Śiva is paripūrṇa (perfect and self-sufficient), His līlā in a manifest (saguṇa) form becomes the doorway for understanding grace, creation, and liberation.

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

By calling Him “śivākṛti” (Śiva in a perceivable form), the verse supports saguṇa-upāsanā—approaching the transcendent Pati through accessible forms such as the Liṅga, where divine action can be contemplated and adored.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is śravaṇa and manana—listening to Śiva-kathā with focused curiosity and reflecting on it; this is commonly paired in Shaiva practice with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” to steady the mind on Śiva’s form and grace.