Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 13

नभोवाणी-दक्ष-निन्दा तथा सती-माहात्म्य-प्रतिपादनम् / The Celestial Voice Rebukes Dakṣa and Proclaims Satī’s Greatness

Devanagari script

सा सत्येव तपोधर्मदातादिफलदायिनी । शंभुशक्तिर्महादेवी दुष्टहंत्री परात्परा

Transliteration

sā satyeva tapodharmadātādiphaladāyinī | śaṃbhuśaktirmahādevī duṣṭahaṃtrī parātparā

Translation

Elle seule est l’incarnation même de la Vérité, dispensant les fruits de l’austérité, du dharma et du don sacré. En tant que Śakti de Śambhu, elle est Mahādevī—destructrice des méchants—suprême au-delà du suprême.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सत्या: Satī
• सत्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Satī (proper name)

• इव: as/like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय

• तपस्-धर्म-दाता-आदि-फल-दायिनी: giver of the fruits of austerity, dharma, charity, etc.
• तपस्-धर्म-दाता-आदि-फल-दायिनी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + दाता (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘giver of fruits of austerity, dharma, gifts, etc.’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शम्भु-शक्तिः: power (Śakti) of Śambhu
• शम्भु-शक्तिः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शम्भोः शक्तिः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महा-देवी: the great goddess
• महा-देवी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महती देवी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्ट-हन्त्री: slayer of the wicked
• दुष्ट-हन्त्री: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + हन्त्री (प्रातिपदिक; √हन्)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (object-determinative: दुष्टान् हन्ति इति), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परात्-परā: higher than the highest
• परात्-परā: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (ablative-determinative sense: परात् अपि परा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the glory of Satī/Śakti within the Satīkhaṇḍa context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati
• Shakti
• Mahadevi
• Shambhu

FAQs

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

The verse establishes Śakti (Satī) as the living power of Śiva who dispenses karmic fruits—especially the results of tapas, dharma, and charity—while also affirming her transcendence (parātparā) and protective role as the destroyer of evil.

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

Linga worship in the Shiva Purana is devotion to Śiva as Pati; this verse clarifies that Śiva’s worship is never separate from His Śakti, the granting power behind spiritual merit and protection—thus Saguna worship bears fruit through the Śiva-Śakti unity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It supports disciplined tapas with dharma and dāna offered to Śiva (Linga-pūjā), accompanied by mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), seeking Śiva-Śakti’s grace for purification and the removal of wicked tendencies.