Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 3

शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”

Devanagari script

दशबाहुर्नीलगल सर्वाभरणभूषितः । सर्वांगसुन्दरो भस्मत्रिपुण्ड्रांकितमस्तकः

Transliteration

daśabāhurnīlagala sarvābharaṇabhūṣitaḥ | sarvāṃgasundaro bhasmatripuṇḍrāṃkitamastakaḥ

Translation

He was ten-armed, blue-throated, and adorned with every ornament. Beautiful in every limb, His head was marked with the sacred Tripuṇḍra of holy ash.

Word by Word

• दश-बाहुः: ten-armed
• दश-बाहुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (दश बाहवः यस्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• नील-गलः: blue-throated
• नील-गलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक) + गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (नीलः गलः यस्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्व-आभरण-भूषितः: adorned with all ornaments
• सर्व-आभरण-भूषितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (भूष् धातु से क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वैः आभरणैः भूषितः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्व-अङ्ग-सुन्दरः: beautiful in every limb
• सर्व-अङ्ग-सुन्दरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सुन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वेषु अङ्गेषु सुन्दरः/सर्वाङ्गे सुन्दरः), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• भस्म-त्रिपुण्ड्र-अङ्कित-मस्तकः: whose head is marked with ash tripuṇḍra
• भस्म-त्रिपुण्ड्र-अङ्कित-मस्तकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रिपुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (अङ्क् धातु से क्त) + मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (भस्म-त्रिपुण्ड्रेण अङ्कितं मस्तकं यस्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: samudra-manthana allusion (nīlakaṇṭha motif)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva’s Saguna (manifest) form as both awe-inspiring and purifying: the blue throat signifies His compassionate bearing of cosmic poison, while the Tripuṇḍra of bhasma marks transcendence over impurity and attachment, pointing the devotee toward liberation under Pati (the Lord).

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

Though Linga worship emphasizes the formless, this verse supports Saguna upāsanā by giving a dhyāna-image of Shiva—blue-throated, ornamented, and Tripuṇḍra-marked—so devotees can meditate on His gracious form while understanding it as a doorway to the higher, nirguṇa reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Apply bhasma as Tripuṇḍra on the forehead (and traditionally other places), then meditate on Nīlakaṇṭha Shiva’s form; this is commonly paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” especially in Mahāśivarātri observances.