Shloka 59

हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्

The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा मम वचस्सोथ देवदेवो महेश्वरः । ससर्ज स्वात्मनस्तुल्यान्रुद्रो रुद्रगणान्बहून

Transliteration

śrutvā mama vacassotha devadevo maheśvaraḥ | sasarja svātmanastulyānrudro rudragaṇānbahūna

Translation

Hearing my words, then the God of gods, Maheśvara—the Rudra—created many hosts of Rudras, beings equal to His own nature.

Word by Word

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वकाले)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु श्रवणे धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having heard’

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vacaḥ: words
• vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (वचस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक), indeclinable (अव्यय)

• deva-devaḥ: the God of gods
• deva-devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deva (देव + देव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘god of gods’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheśvara
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (महेश्वर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sasarja: created, produced
• sasarja: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज् विसर्जने/सृष्टौ धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• sva-ātmanaḥ: of his own self
• sva-ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + ātman (स्व + आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘of his own self’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tulyān: equal (to)
• tulyān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (तुल्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन) agreeing with rudragaṇān

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject—apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (रुद्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• rudra-gaṇān: Rudra-hosts
• rudra-gaṇān: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra + gaṇa (रुद्र + गण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘groups of Rudras/Rudra’s hosts’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bahūn: many
• bahūn: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (बहु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन) agreeing with rudragaṇān

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating the creation account within the Sṛṣṭi Khaṇḍa)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmogonic emanation of Rudragaṇas from Rudra’s own svarūpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Rudraganas
• Maheshvara

FAQs

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

It presents Maheśvara as the supreme Pati (Lord) who can manifest divine attendants from His own śakti—showing that the cosmos and its powers arise from Śiva’s will, while He remains intrinsically complete.

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

As Saguna Śiva (Maheśvara/Rudra), He is worshipped as the accessible Lord who acts in creation; the Rudragaṇas represent His functional divine presence in the world, supporting the devotee’s reverence for Śiva in form (including Liṅga-upāsanā).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is gaṇa-smaraṇa with japa: meditate on Maheśvara as Devadeva and repeat the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), invoking protection and steadiness of mind under Śiva’s Rudra-tattva.