Shloka 51
यावतश्च गणास्संति श्रीरुद्रस्य त्रिशूलिनः । तावतामपि सर्वेषां शक्तिरेतादृशी धुवम्
yāvataśca gaṇāssaṃti śrīrudrasya triśūlinaḥ | tāvatāmapi sarveṣāṃ śaktiretādṛśī dhuvam
As many Gaṇas as there are of the glorious Rudra, the Trident-bearer—so many indeed, in every case, is this very power certainly present in them all.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Rudra Saṃhitā account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Rudra
Shakti Form: Durgā
Role: destructive
Cosmic Event: Distribution of Rudra-śakti among gaṇas (mythic aiśvarya across the host)
FAQs
It affirms that Śiva’s attendants (Gaṇas) operate by the Lord’s bestowed śakti; their might is not independent egoic power but a participation in Rudra’s divine energy, highlighting Pati as the ultimate source of all capacities.
In Saguna worship, devotees approach Śiva as the personal Lord who actively empowers and protects through his śakti and retinue; the Liṅga signifies that same supreme presence, from whom all delegated powers—like those of the Gaṇas—flow.
A practical takeaway is to worship Rudra as the source of śakti—chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with devotion, and (where traditional) wearing Rudrākṣa and applying Tripuṇḍra-bhasma to cultivate surrender to Śiva’s empowering grace.