Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 31

दक्षस्य विष्णुं प्रति शरणागतिḥ — Dakṣa’s Appeal to Viṣṇu and the Teaching on Disrespect to Śiva

Devanagari script

केवलं ज्ञानमाश्रित्य निरीश्वरपरा नराः । निरयं ते च गच्छंति कल्पकोटिशतानि च

Transliteration

kevalaṃ jñānamāśritya nirīśvaraparā narāḥ | nirayaṃ te ca gacchaṃti kalpakoṭiśatāni ca

Translation

S’appuyant seulement sur un savoir sec et isolé, ceux qui s’attachent à la doctrine «il n’y a pas de Seigneur» vont certes en enfer, et y demeurent durant des centaines de crores de kalpas.

Word by Word

• केवलम्: mere; only
• केवलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having resorted to’

• निरीश्वरपराः: devoted to godlessness; without regard for the Lord
• निरीश्वरपराः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरीश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘निरीश्वरः परः यस्य/ये’ in sense ‘devoted to godlessness’ (functioning as adjective)

• नराः: men; people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• गच्छन्ति: go
• गच्छन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• कल्पकोटिशतानि: hundreds of crores of aeons
• कल्पकोटिशतानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; समाहार/परिमाणवाचक तत्पुरुष-समास (hundreds of crores of aeons)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-scale duration of suffering (kalpakoṭiśatāni)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns that mere intellectualism divorced from recognition of Īśvara (Pati—Lord Shiva) becomes spiritually sterile; denying the Lord severs the path to grace, leading to prolonged bondage and suffering.

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

It reinforces that Shiva is to be approached as Īśvara—personally worshipped through the Linga and saguna upāsanā—so that knowledge matures into realization supported by devotion and Shiva’s anugraha (grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate Īśvara-bhakti alongside jñāna: daily Linga-pūjā, japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and wearing Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of surrender to Shiva.