Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

त्वं न जानामि वै रुद्रं सर्वदेवेश्वरेश्वरम् । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां जनक प्रकृतेः परम्

Transliteration

tvaṃ na jānāmi vai rudraṃ sarvadeveśvareśvaram | brahmaviṣṇumaheśānāṃ janaka prakṛteḥ param

Translation

O Rudra, wahrlich kenne ich Dich nicht — den höchsten Herrn über die Herren aller Götter; den Vater von Brahmā, Viṣṇu und Maheśa, und Den, der Prakṛti (die materielle Natur) übersteigt.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग-सामान्य (pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation to verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• जानामि: I know
• जानामि: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• रुद्रम्: Rudra
• रुद्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्व-देव-ईश्वर-ईश्वरम्: the lord of the lords of all gods
• सर्व-देव-ईश्वर-ईश्वरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्धारण/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः: ‘सर्वदेवानाम् ईश्वराणाम् ईश्वरः’), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of रुद्रम्)

• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेशानाम्: of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśa
• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-महेशानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśa’

• जनक: O progenitor/father
• जनक: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme; beyond
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier—understood with रुद्रम्/तत्त्वम्)

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: त्वं न जानामि वै रुद्रं सर्वदेवेश्वरेश्वरम् । ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशानां जनक प्रकृतेः परम्

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Maheśa

FAQs

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

It expresses humility before the Supreme Pati (Śiva), declaring that even the highest cosmic authorities cannot fully comprehend Rudra, who is beyond Prakṛti and therefore beyond the limits of ordinary knowledge.

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

Calling Rudra the Lord of all gods supports Linga-worship as worship of the highest reality; the Linga functions as the Saguna support through which devotees approach the transcendent (beyond Prakṛti) Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is surrender and japa: repeat the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with the understanding that Shiva is beyond Prakṛti, while supporting practice with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as signs of devotion and discipline.