Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 23

दक्षयज्ञे सत्या अपमानबोधः — Satī Encounters Disrespect at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

Devanagari script

भिक्षाटनं च कृतवान् पुरा दारुवने विभुः । शप्तो यद्भिक्षुको रुद्रो भवद्भिर्मुनिभिस्तदा

Transliteration

bhikṣāṭanaṃ ca kṛtavān purā dāruvane vibhuḥ | śapto yadbhikṣuko rudro bhavadbhirmunibhistadā

Translation

Autrefois, le Seigneur omniprésent accomplit, dans la forêt de Dāruvana, la lîlâ divine de la quête d’aumônes. Et alors, Rudra, apparu en mendiant, fut maudit par vous, les sages.

Word by Word

• bhikṣāṭanam: begging-round, mendicancy
• bhikṣāṭanam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣāṭana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular — object of kṛtavān

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• kṛtavān: did / performed
• kṛtavān: Karta (कर्ता/agent of action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + tavat (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Perfect participle/agentive (क्तवत्-कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular — ‘having done’

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• dāruvane: in the Daru forest
• dāruvane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāruvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular — place

• vibhuḥ: the Lord, the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular — subject

• śaptaḥ: was cursed
• śaptaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śap (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular — ‘was cursed’

• yat: because/that
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/relative connector)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Indeclinable relative (यद् as conjunction) — introduces reason/that-clause

• bhikṣukaḥ: a mendicant
• bhikṣukaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhikṣuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular — predicate noun/apposition to rudraḥ

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular — subject (same as vibhuḥ)

• bhavadbhiḥ: by you (revered ones)
• bhavadbhiḥ: Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun/honorific, Instrumental (3rd), Plural — agent in passive ‘by you’

• munibhiḥ: by sages
• munibhiḥ: Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural — apposition to bhavadbhiḥ

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhikṣāṭana

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Dāruvana episode: Śiva assumes a bhikṣu form to veil his supremacy and expose the sages’ pride; their curse becomes the narrative instrument for revelation.

Significance: Models the lesson that ascetic appearance can conceal the Supreme; warns against judging by external marks; promotes humility toward wandering renunciants.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Sages (Munis)

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s līlā: the Supreme (Vibhu) can assume a humble mendicant form to dissolve pride and reveal that liberation comes through recognizing the Pati (Lord) beyond outer appearances.

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

Rudra appearing as a bhikṣuka is a Saguna manifestation—an accessible form through which devotees learn reverence and surrender; such episodes support Linga-worship by teaching that the formless Supreme is approached through consecrated forms and symbols.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice humility and remembrance of Rudra through japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and daily Śiva-smaraṇa; offer simple bhikṣā (charity/food) in a Śaiva spirit as a discipline of ego-reduction.