Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

पाहि त्रयोविंशगुणान्सुशब्दिताञ्जगत्यशेषे समधिष्ठिता परा । यद्रूपकर्माणिजगत्त्रयोऽपि ते विदुर्न मूलप्रकृतिं नताः स्म ताम्

Transliteration

pāhi trayoviṃśaguṇānsuśabditāñjagatyaśeṣe samadhiṣṭhitā parā | yadrūpakarmāṇijagattrayo'pi te vidurna mūlaprakṛtiṃ natāḥ sma tām

Translation

Beschütze uns, o Höchste, die das ganze Universum durchwaltet und durch die dreiundzwanzig Tattvas (Guṇas) gepriesen wird. Die drei Welten kennen Deine Gestalten und Deine Taten, doch die Wurzel, die Mūla‑Prakṛti, kennen sie nicht. Darum verneigen wir uns vor der höchsten Wirklichkeit, die darüber hinausgeht.

Word by Word

• पाहि: protect
• पाहि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्रयोविंश-गुणान्: the twenty-three guṇas/tattvas
• त्रयोविंश-गुणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रयोविंश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical)

• सु-शब्दितान्: well-described
• सु-शब्दितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + शब्दित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘well-described/named’

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• अशेषे: entire/without remainder
• अशेषे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying जगति)

• समधिष्ठिता: presiding over
• समधिष्ठिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अधि + स्था (धातु) → अधिष्ठित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘fully presiding/established over’

• परा: supreme
• परा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यत्-रूप-कर्माणि: whose forms and actions
• यत्-रूप-कर्माणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (रूपाणि च कर्माणि च) with relative ‘यत्’

• जगत्-त्रयः: the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘three worlds’ (collective)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ते: your/of you
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्/तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी? here: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) एकवचन ‘of you/your’; (context: ‘te’ = ‘your’)

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• मूल-प्रकृतिम्: the root Prakṛti
• मूल-प्रकृतिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नताः: bowed down
• नताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-कृदन्त; (वयं/देवाः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• स्म: indeed/then
• स्म: Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Devās (gods) offering a hymn/prayer within the Yuddhakhaṇḍa narration, as relayed by Sūta Gosvāmin

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: tattva-vyūha (manifestation through categories)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse praises Shiva as the Supreme Pati who pervades and governs all manifested categories (tattvas) yet remains beyond mūla-prakṛti; liberation is implied as turning from mere knowledge of cosmic forms to surrender to the Transcendent Lord.

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

It affirms that while devotees may recognize Shiva’s visible forms and deeds (saguṇa comprehension), true worship culminates in bowing to the Reality that transcends even primordial nature—symbolically approached through the Liṅga as the sign of the formless beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is śaraṇāgati (devotional surrender) with contemplative meditation: reflect that Shiva is present through all tattvas yet untouched by them, and worship with mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) as a means to orient the mind beyond prakṛti.