Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 46

गणेश-षण्मुखयोः विवाहविचारः / Deliberation on the Marriages of Gaṇeśa and Ṣaṇmukha

Devanagari script

द्वयोः श्रेष्ठतमं मध्ये यत्स्यात्सम्यग्विचार्य तत् । कर्तव्यं च प्रयत्नेन पितरौ धर्मरूपिणौ

Transliteration

dvayoḥ śreṣṭhatamaṃ madhye yatsyātsamyagvicārya tat | kartavyaṃ ca prayatnena pitarau dharmarūpiṇau

Translation

Entre les deux, après avoir mûrement considéré ce qui est la voie la plus excellente, qu’on l’accomplisse avec ardeur—car les parents sont véritablement l’incarnation du Dharma.

Word by Word

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), द्विवचन — ‘of the two’

• श्रेष्ठतमम्: the best
• श्रेष्ठतमम्: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — superlative; here as object/complement with ‘तत्’ (‘the best’)

• मध्ये: among, in between
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन — ‘in the middle/among’

• यत्: which (that)
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative-correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — relative pronoun ‘which/what’

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘may be/should be’

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘properly’

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having considered’

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘that’ (to be done/accepted)

• कर्तव्यम्: is to be done
• कर्तव्यम्: विधेय (Predicative necessity)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: भाव्यताकृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘is to be done’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (and)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन — ‘with effort’

• पितरौ: the two parents
• पितरौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — ‘the two parents’

• धर्म-रूपिणौ: embodying dharma
• धर्म-रूपिणौ: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मरूपिन्: ‘having the form/nature of dharma’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन — qualifying ‘पितरौ’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that dharmic discernment must guide action, and that serving and honoring one’s parents is itself a sacred duty—an outer expression of inner Shaiva discipline that supports purity and spiritual progress.

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

In Saguna Shiva worship, devotion is validated by conduct: reverence to Shiva is incomplete if one neglects dharma at home. Seeing parents as ‘dharma embodied’ aligns daily life with the sanctity sought in Linga-puja.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice dharmic seva as a vow: before or after japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), offer respectful service to parents, speak truthfully, and act after calm reflection—making worship and duty mutually reinforcing.