Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5

शङ्खचूडस्य मायायुद्धं तथा माहेश्वरास्त्रप्रभावः | Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Māyā-Warfare and the Power of the Māheśvara Astra

Devanagari script

मायाश्चकार विविधा अदृश्या भयदर्शिताः । अप्रतर्क्याः सुरगणैर्निखिलैरपिः सत्तमैः

Transliteration

māyāścakāra vividhā adṛśyā bhayadarśitāḥ | apratarkyāḥ suragaṇairnikhilairapiḥ sattamaiḥ

Translation

Dann setzte er mannigfache Mäyā-Kräfte ein—unsichtbar und doch Schrecken offenbarend—Wunder, die selbst alle Scharen der Götter, so vortrefflich sie auch waren, nicht zu ergründen vermochten.

Word by Word

• māyāḥ: illusions
• māyāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• cakāra: made/created
• cakāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ) (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ/लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vividhāḥ: various
• vividhāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; agrees with māyāḥ

• adṛśyāḥ: invisible
• adṛśyāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adṛśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; agrees with māyāḥ

• bhaya-darśitāḥ: fear-inducing
• bhaya-darśitāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + darśita (प्रातिपदिक; PPP)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; tatpuruṣa: ‘showing fear/causing fear’; agrees with māyāḥ

• apratarkyāḥ: incomprehensible
• apratarkyāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-pratarkya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; ‘inconceivable’; agrees with māyāḥ

• sura-gaṇaiḥ: by the hosts of gods
• sura-gaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; tatpuruṣa: ‘by groups of gods’

• nikhilaiḥ: by all
• nikhilaiḥ: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; agrees with sura-gaṇaiḥ

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (अपि = even/also)

• sattamaiḥ: by the best (ones)
• sattamaiḥ: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; superlative; agrees with sura-gaṇaiḥ

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the battle episode to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Devas (Sura-gaṇa)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights māyā as a power that can generate fear and confusion and remains unfathomable even to the devas; in Shaiva Siddhanta, liberation comes not by mere intellect but by turning to Pati (Śiva) whose grace enables the soul to transcend māyā’s veiling force.

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

In the midst of conflict and bewildering appearances, the devotee relies on Saguna Shiva—worshiped as the Liṅga—as the stable, truth-bearing presence; Liṅga-worship trains the mind to hold to Śiva as reality when māyā projects terrifying, deceptive forms.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as supports—disciplines traditionally taught in the Purāṇa to calm fear, purify perception, and weaken māyā’s grip.