Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 17

गजासुरतपः–देवलोकक्षोभः

Gajāsura’s Austerities and the Disturbance of the Worlds

Devanagari script

गजासुर उवाच । नमस्ते देवदेवेश यदि दास्यसि मे वरम् । अवध्योऽहं भवेयं वै स्त्रीपुंसैः कामनिर्जितैः

Transliteration

gajāsura uvāca | namaste devadeveśa yadi dāsyasi me varam | avadhyo'haṃ bhaveyaṃ vai strīpuṃsaiḥ kāmanirjitaiḥ

Translation

Gajāsura sprach: „Ehrerbietung Dir, o Herr der Götter. Wenn Du mir einen Segen gewährst, so mache mich wahrlich unverwundbar — dass weder Frau noch Mann, vom Begehren besiegt, mich töten kann.“

Word by Word

• गजासुरः: Gajāsura
• गजासुरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम; कर्मधारय: गजः इव असुरः / गज-रूपः असुरः

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थ-शब्द

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) / चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; ‘नमः’ योगे चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to you)

• देवदेवेश: O Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेश: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: देवानां देवस्य ईशः / देवदेवानाम् ईशः

• यदि: if
• यदि: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle)

• दास्यसि: you will give
• दास्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• वरम्: a boon
• वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अवध्यः: invulnerable
• अवध्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘न वध्यः’ (not to be slain)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेयम्: may I become
• भवेयम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/उपपादक (indeed)

• स्त्रीपुंसैः: by women and men
• स्त्रीपुंसैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘स्त्रीभिः च पुंभिः च’

• कामनिर्जितैः: conquered by desire
• कामनिर्जितैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + निर्जित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: कामेन निर्जिताः; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) √जि (to conquer) with निर्; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण ‘स्त्रीपुंसैः’

Speaker

Gajāsura

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमस्ते देवदेवेश

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how ego and fear seek “protected power” through conditions, while Shaiva Siddhanta emphasizes that true strength is freedom from kāma (desire) and surrender to Pati (Shiva), not loophole-based invulnerability.

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

Gajāsura addresses Shiva as the supreme Lord (Devadeveśa), approaching Saguna Shiva as a personal deity who grants boons. In Linga worship too, devotees approach Shiva for grace—but the Purana contrasts desire-driven requests with dharma-aligned devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A key takeaway is to overcome kāma through japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined worship (e.g., Tripuṇḍra bhasma and Rudrākṣa), cultivating desirelessness rather than bargaining for power.