Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 11

शिवविहारवर्णनम् (Śivavihāra-varṇana) — “Description of Śiva’s Divine Pastimes/Sojourn”

Devanagari script

शिवस्स भगवान् साक्षात्कैलासमगमद्यदा । सौख्यं च विविधं चक्रुर्गणास्सर्वे सुहर्षिताः

Transliteration

śivassa bhagavān sākṣātkailāsamagamadyadā | saukhyaṃ ca vividhaṃ cakrurgaṇāssarve suharṣitāḥ

Translation

Lorsque le Seigneur Śiva lui-même, manifesté en personne, arriva au Kailāsa, tous les Gaṇa, remplis d’une grande allégresse, éprouvèrent et exprimèrent maintes formes de joie et de bien-être.

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly/in person
• साक्षात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कैलासम्: to Kailāsa
• कैलासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अगमत्: went
• अगमत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-सम्बन्ध (temporal conjunction)

• सौख्यम्: happiness/comfort
• सौख्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक

• विविधम्: various
• विविधम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सौख्यम्)

• चक्रुः: did/made
• चक्रुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• गणाः: the attendants (gaṇas)
• गणाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गणाः)

• सुहर्षिताः: very delighted
• सुहर्षिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + हर्षित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) from √हृष्/हर्ष (to rejoice) with उपसर्ग सु-

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Kailāsa arrival motif: Śiva’s manifest presence (sākṣāt) brings immediate well-being to his gaṇas; not a Jyotirliṅga origin episode.

Significance: Darśana of Śiva (sākṣāt) is portrayed as intrinsically bliss-giving; reinforces the bhakti principle that proximity to the Lord and his abode yields śānti and ānanda.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kailasa
• Ganas

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as the directly present (sākṣāt) Pati whose very arrival brings ānanda and auspicious well-being; in Shaiva Siddhānta, closeness to the Lord dissolves agitation and reveals innate joy.

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

By calling Śiva ‘sākṣāt’ (manifestly present), the verse supports Saguna worship—approaching the Lord through visible forms such as the Śiva-liṅga, where devotees experience the Lord’s nearness and grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate ‘presence of Śiva’ through daily liṅga-pūjā with Panchākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and calm, joyful remembrance (smaraṇa), aiming to abide in the Lord’s auspiciousness like the Gaṇas at Kailāsa.