Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 30

हिरण्यनेत्रस्य तपः — Hiraṇyanetra’s Austerity and the Boon

Devanagari script

पुष्पार्घधूपान्नविलेपनैश्च सुशोभितान्यद्भुतदर्शनैश्च । संक्रीडमानस्य गतानि तस्य वर्षायुतानीह तथांधकस्य

Transliteration

puṣpārghadhūpānnavilepanaiśca suśobhitānyadbhutadarśanaiśca | saṃkrīḍamānasya gatāni tasya varṣāyutānīha tathāṃdhakasya

Translation

Geschmückt mit Darbringungen von Blumen, Arghya-Wasser, Weihrauch, Speise und frischen duftenden Salbungen, und verherrlicht durch wundersame Anblicke — so vergingen, während er auf solche Weise spielte, für Andhaka hier unzählige Zehntausende von Jahren.

Word by Word

• puṣpa-argha-dhūpa-anna-vilepanaiḥ: with flowers, offerings, incense, food, and unguents
• puṣpa-argha-dhūpa-anna-vilepanaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + argha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anna (प्रातिपदिक) + vilepana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collection dvandva); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• suśobhitāni: well-decorated
• suśobhitāni: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (अव्यय) + √śubh/√śobh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘well-adorned’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• adbhuta-darśanaiḥ: with wondrous sights/appearances
• adbhuta-darśanaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adbhuta (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयभाव (‘अद्भुतं दर्शनं येषाम्/अद्भुतदर्शनैः’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• saṃkrīḍamānasya: of (him) who was sporting/playing
• saṃkrīḍamānasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√krīḍ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपदभाव); षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• gatāni: passed (elapsed)
• gatāni: Kriyā (क्रिया) / Bhāva (भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP) ‘gone/passed’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक (context: masculine)

• varṣa-ayutāni: ten-thousands of years
• varṣa-ayutāni: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ayuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: ‘वर्षाणाम् अयुतानि’ = ten-thousands of years); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb: here/in this world)

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus/so)

• andhakasya: of Andhaka
• andhakasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Prolonged asuric bhoga across varṣāyuta (mythic vast time-span), implying karmic accumulation before corrective divine intervention.

Characters & Entities

• Andhaka

FAQs

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

It highlights how prolonged immersion in sensory splendor and ritual enjoyment can make vast stretches of time pass, implying that devotion must mature from outward adornment to inward alignment with Shiva (Pati) for true liberation.

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

The listed upacāras—flowers, arghya, incense, food, and fragrant paste—are classic elements of Saguna Shiva worship offered to the Linga or Shiva’s manifested form, emphasizing structured puja as a devotional framework.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Shiva-puja with the standard offerings (puṣpa, dhūpa, naivedya, vilepana) while keeping mantra-centered focus—especially japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—so worship is not merely decorative but transformative.