Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततस्तद्दर्शनार्थाय सदुपायं विचारयन् । धूम्रघोरेण कामार्तोऽकार्षं तच्च ततः परम्

Transliteration

tatastaddarśanārthāya sadupāyaṃ vicārayan | dhūmraghoreṇa kāmārto'kārṣaṃ tacca tataḥ param

Translation

Then, eager to behold her, he considered a fitting means; and, tormented by desire, he went further on by employing the fierce and smoke-laden Dhūmrāghora.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (then/thereafter)

• tat: of that (his/her)
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘तत्’ = ‘तस्य’ (genitive used in compound)

• darśana-arthāya: for the purpose of seeing (it/him)
• darśana-arthāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-समर्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (dative of purpose)

• sat-upāyam: a good means/remedy
• sat-upāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (good + means), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vicārayan: considering, reflecting
• vicārayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√cār (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (agreeing with implied subject)

• dhūmra-ghoreṇa: by (something) smoky and dreadful
• dhūmra-ghoreṇa: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhūmra (प्रातिपदिक) + ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• kāma-ārtaḥ: afflicted by desire
• kāma-ārtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + ārta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कामेन आर्तः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied subject)

• akārṣam: I drew/pulled/produced
• akārṣam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter)

• param: afterwards, further
• param: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतं (adverbial accusative)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Dhūmrāghora
• Sati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights how kāma (desire) can drive the soul toward restless, forceful means, illustrating a Shaiva Siddhanta theme: when consciousness is bound by pāśa (impurity/bondage), it seeks objects through agitation rather than through purified devotion and right discernment.

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

It contrasts worldly pursuit with the proper ‘sadupāya’ (right means). In Linga/Saguna Shiva worship, the seeker is taught to approach Shiva through regulated upāsanā—mantra, bhasma, and bhakti—rather than through passion-driven compulsion, thereby converting desire into a sanctified longing for darśana.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied corrective is to adopt a sat-upāya: japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steady dhyāna, along with Shaiva disciplines such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, to calm kāma and align the mind toward Shiva.