Shloka 56

रुद्राक्ष-माहात्म्य

Rudrākṣa Māhātmya — The Greatness of Rudraksha

Devanagari script

सुरासुराणां सर्वेषां वंदनीयः सदा स वै । पूजनीयो हि दृष्टस्य पापहा च यथा शिवः

Transliteration

surāsurāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ vaṃdanīyaḥ sadā sa vai | pūjanīyo hi dṛṣṭasya pāpahā ca yathā śivaḥ

Translation

Er ist stets verehrungswürdig für alle, für Devas wie für Asuras. Wahrlich, wer ihn erblickt, soll ihn anbeten; und wie der Herr Śiva wird er zum Vertilger der Sünden.

Word by Word

• सुरासुराणाम्: of gods and demons
• सुरासुराणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (‘devas and asuras’)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (to ‘सुरासुराणाम्’)

• वन्दनीयः: worthy of salutation
• वन्दनीयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन्दनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वन्द् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be saluted’)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• पूजनीयः: worthy of worship
• पूजनीयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजनीय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पूज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be worshipped’)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (causal/emphatic: ‘for/indeed’)

• दृष्टस्य: of the one who has seen (him)
• दृष्टस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; दृश् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle: ‘seen’)

• पापहा: destroyer of sin
• पापहा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + हन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (‘sin-destroyer’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative: ‘as/like’)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī’s Lord Viśvanātha grants liberation and sin-destruction by mere contact/darśana; the verse’s claim ‘like Śiva, remover of sins upon being seen’ echoes Kāśī’s darśana-māhātmya.

Significance: Darśana is held to burn sins and strengthen bhakti; Kāśī-viśeṣa: liberation-oriented merit through Śiva’s presence.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Devas
• Asuras

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that Śiva’s greatness is universal—beyond factional divisions—and that sincere reverence and darśana (beholding with devotion) purify the soul and lessen pāpa, aligning the seeker toward liberation under Pati (Śiva).

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

By declaring him “always worthy of worship” and “sin-removing,” the verse supports Saguna worship—especially Śiva as the accessible Lord worshipped through the Liṅga—where darśana and pūjā become direct means of grace and purification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-darśana with reverence and follow it with simple Liṅga-pūjā (water, bilva leaves) while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating devotion as the primary purifier.