Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 32

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

इति स्तुवंतस्ते देवास्तेजोमंडलमास्थितम् । ददृशुर्गगने तत्र ज्वालाव्याप्ता दिगंतरम्

Transliteration

iti stuvaṃtaste devāstejomaṃḍalamāsthitam | dadṛśurgagane tatra jvālāvyāptā digaṃtaram

Translation

So sahen jene Götter, während sie Lobpreis darbrachten, am Himmel eine strahlende Sphäre göttlichen Glanzes; Flammen breiteten sich von ihr aus und erfüllten die Horizonte nach allen Richtungen.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उक्तिसमाप्त्यर्थक

• स्तुवन्तः: praising
• स्तुवन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those/they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तेजःमण्डलम्: a circle/orb of radiance
• तेजःमण्डलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तेजसः मण्डलम्)

• आस्थितम्: occupied/assumed
• आस्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आस्थित’ = ‘having assumed/occupied’ (agreeing with तेजःमण्डलम्)

• ददृशुः: they saw
• ददृशुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• गगने: in the sky
• गगने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place: there)

• ज्वालाव्याप्तम्: pervaded by flames
• ज्वालाव्याप्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला + व्याप्त (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘व्याप्त’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (ज्वालाभिः व्याप्तम्)

• दिगन्तरम्: the space between the directions / the expanse of the quarters
• दिगन्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिक् + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दिशाम् अन्तरम्/अन्तरालम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The ‘tejo-maṇḍala’ in the sky evokes the Liṅgodbhava archetype (endless pillar/orb of light) used across Śaiva Purāṇic literature to signify Śiva’s self-manifest supremacy; here it functions as a theophany responding to deva-stuti.

Significance: Contemplation of the jyotis (radiance) as Śiva’s self-revelation: a meditative support for recognizing the Lord beyond form, leading toward śānta-bhāva and receptivity to grace.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: theophany (jyotis-manifestation) filling the directions

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Tejomandala (divine orb of radiance)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how sincere stuti (devotional praise) culminates in darśana—an experiential revelation of divine tejas that overwhelms limited perception and fills all directions, pointing to Shiva’s all-pervading sovereignty (Pati) over the cosmos.

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

The tejomaṇḍala functions like a perceptible, Saguna sign of the Supreme—similar to how the Linga serves as a visible focus for worship—through which devotees are led toward the deeper, formless (Nirguna) reality that the light symbolizes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dhyāna on Shiva as jyoti (inner light) while chanting the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” supported by simple stuti; this aligns devotion (bhakti) with steady contemplation (dhyāna).