Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 34

रुद्रस्य रणप्रवेशः तथा दैत्यगणानां बाणवृष्टिः

Rudra Enters the Battlefield; the Daityas’ Arrow-Storm

Devanagari script

तस्य मायाप्रभावात्तु गंधर्वाप्सरसां गणाः । आविर्भूता अनेके च रुद्रमोहनहेतवे

Transliteration

tasya māyāprabhāvāttu gaṃdharvāpsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ | āvirbhūtā aneke ca rudramohanahetave

Translation

By the force of his māyā, many troops of Gandharvas and Apsarases manifested, appearing for the very purpose of bewildering Rudra (and his hosts).

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• माया-प्रभावात्: from (his) magical power/effect
• माया-प्रभावात्: अपादान (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) ‘प्रभाव’; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (māyāyāḥ prabhāvaḥ)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (emphatic/contrastive)

• गन्धर्व-अप्सरसाम्: of the Gandharvas and Apsarases
• गन्धर्व-अप्सरसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अप्सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural); द्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara-dvandva) ‘गन्धर्वाश्च अप्सरसश्च’

• गणाः: groups/troops
• गणाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• आविर्भूताः: having appeared/manifested
• आविर्भूताः: कर्ता-विशेषण (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविर् (अव्यय) + भू (धातु) → आविर्भूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), प्रथमा बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘आविर्’ (indecl.) + ‘भूत’ (ppp) = अव्ययीभाव-समास

• अनेके: many
• अनेके: कर्ता-विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रुद्र-मोहन-हेतवे: for the purpose of deluding Rudra
• रुद्र-मोहन-हेतवे: सम्प्रदान (Purpose/recipient; Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मोहन (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग ‘हेतु’; समासः तत्पुरुष (रुद्रस्य मोहनस्य हेतुः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, within the Yuddhakhaṇḍa narration)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Rudra

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases
• Maya

FAQs

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

It highlights māyā as a force that projects alluring appearances (here, celestial entertainers) to generate moha (bewilderment). From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, liberation requires discernment so the soul is not bound by such pasha-like delusions.

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

The verse contrasts shifting, seductive manifestations of māyā with the steadiness sought in Saguna Shiva-upāsanā. Linga worship trains the mind to rest in Shiva as the stable refuge beyond distraction, even when captivating forms arise.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady dhyāna to counter moha; applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and maintaining śiva-smaraṇa are traditional Shaiva disciplines for guarding the mind against māyā’s allure.