Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12

सत्यप्रतिज्ञा-तपःसंवादः

Pārvatī’s Vow of Truth and the Dialogue on Her Tapas

Devanagari script

वृषध्वजो महादेवो भस्मदिग्धो जटाधरः । व्याघ्रचर्म्मांबरधरः संवीतो गजकृत्तिना

Transliteration

vṛṣadhvajo mahādevo bhasmadigdho jaṭādharaḥ | vyāghracarmmāṃbaradharaḥ saṃvīto gajakṛttinā

Translation

Mahādeva, cuyo estandarte porta al toro, estaba ungido con ceniza sagrada y llevaba las trenzas enmarañadas. Vestía piel de tigre y, además, se envolvía con la piel de un elefante, manifestando su forma sobrecogedora y auspiciosa.

Word by Word

• वृषध्वजः: he whose banner is the bull
• वृषध्वजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘वृषः ध्वजः यस्य’

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• भस्मदिग्धः: smeared with ash
• भस्मदिग्धः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + दिग्ध (दह्/दिह् धातु + क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘भस्मना दिग्धः’ (smeared with ash)

• जटाधरः: the matted-haired bearer
• जटाधरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (धृ धातु + अच्/ण्वुल्-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘जटाः धरति/यस्य’

• व्याघ्रचर्म्माम्बरधरः: wearer of a tiger-skin garment
• व्याघ्रचर्म्माम्बरधरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘व्याघ्रचर्म अम्बरं यस्य/धारयति’ (wearing tiger-skin as garment)

• संवीतः: clad/covered
• संवीतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + वी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘wrapped/clad’

• गजकृत्तिना: with an elephant-hide
• गजकृत्तिना: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘गजस्य कृत्तिः’ (elephant-hide)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Nandi

FAQs

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

The verse meditatively describes Śiva’s saguna (manifest) form: bhasma signifies renunciation and the truth that all forms return to ash, while his jata and animal-skins indicate mastery over nature, fear, and ego—guiding the soul (paśu) toward liberation under the Lord (Pati).

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

While the Liṅga points to Śiva beyond form (nirguṇa), this verse supports saguna-upāsanā by giving a concrete dhyāna (contemplative image) of Mahādeva. Worshippers may honor the Liṅga while internally visualizing Vr̥ṣadhvaja Śiva—ash-smeared, jaṭādhara—uniting form-based devotion with transcendental intent.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt bhasma as Tripuṇḍra with reverence, and perform dhyāna on Mahādeva’s ash-smeared, jaṭādhara form while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a steady practice of purification and devotion.