Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 7

त्रिपुरदाहवर्णनम् | Tripura-dāha-varṇanam

Description of the Burning of Tripura

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं गजवक्त्रमपूजयत् । भद्रकालीं समाहूय ततोंधकनिषूदनः

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu vacanaṃ gajavaktramapūjayat | bhadrakālīṃ samāhūya tatoṃdhakaniṣūdanaḥ

Translation

Als der Bezwinger Andhakas (Śiva) diese Worte hörte, erwies er Gajavaktra (Gaṇeśa) Ehre und Verehrung. Danach rief er Bhadrakālī herbei und schritt zum nächsten Vorgehen in der Schlacht.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘this’ (object of hearing)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ktvā (absolutive/gerund), from √śru; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात

• vacanam: the words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘words/speech’ apposition to etat

• gaja-vaktram: the elephant-faced one (Gaṇeśa)
• gaja-vaktram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + vaktra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (gaja-iva vaktraṃ yasya saḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Gaṇeśa as object of worship

• apūjayat: worshipped
• apūjayat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (पूज् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• bhadrakālīm: Bhadrakālī
• bhadrakālīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadrakālī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• samāhūya: having summoned
• samāhūya: Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hū (हू धातु) with prefix sam-ā-
• Form: क्त्वा/ktvā (absolutive), sam-ā-√hū; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having summoned)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, temporal adverb

• andhaka-niṣūdanaḥ: the slayer of Andhaka
• andhaka-niṣūdanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣūdana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (andhakasya niṣūdanaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; epithet of Śiva

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganesha
• Bhadrakali
• Andhaka

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva’s dharmic leadership: even as the supreme Pati (Lord), he honors Gaṇeśa and invokes Bhadrakālī, showing that divine action harmonizes Śiva (consciousness) and Śakti (power) and proceeds without ego.

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

It reflects Saguna Śiva worship in lived form—Śiva is approached with reverence through his manifest family and powers (Gaṇeśa and Bhadrakālī). This supports the Purāṇic practice of invoking Gaṇeśa for obstacle-removal and honoring Śakti as inseparable from Śiva, complementing Linga devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to begin undertakings with respectful Gaṇeśa-invocation (e.g., a brief Gaṇeśa dhyāna or mantra) and to remember Śiva-Śakti unity in meditation—acting with steadiness and humility before engaging any “inner battle” against darkness (andhaka).