Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 64

वीरभद्र–देवयुद्धवर्णनम्

Vīrabhadra and the Battle with the Devas

Devanagari script

वीरभद्रस्ततो दग्धान्दृष्ट्वा दक्षपुरोगमान् । अट्टाट्टहासमकरोत्पूरयंश्च जगत्त्रयम्

Transliteration

vīrabhadrastato dagdhāndṛṣṭvā dakṣapurogamān | aṭṭāṭṭahāsamakarotpūrayaṃśca jagattrayam

Translation

Alors Vīrabhadra, voyant Dakṣa et les autres au premier rang réduits en cendres, poussa un rire tonitruant, emplissant les trois mondes de ses vibrations.

Word by Word

• vīrabhadraḥ: Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīrabhadra (वीरभद्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (temporal adverb)

• dagdhān: burnt
• dagdhān: Karma (कर्म/object of dṛṣṭvā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dagdha (प्रातिपदिक; past passive participle from √dah, दह्)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (PPP), Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; qualifying dakṣapurogamān

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyā (क्रिया/gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (absolutive/gerund); pūrvakāla-kriyā

• dakṣa-purogamān: those led by Dakṣa
• dakṣa-purogamān: Karma (कर्म/object of dṛṣṭvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (दक्ष-प्रातिपदिक) + purogama (पुरोगम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (determinative): dakṣaḥ purogamaḥ yeṣām te; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• aṭṭāṭṭa-hāsam: a loud/boisterous laugh
• aṭṭāṭṭa-hāsam: Karma (कर्म/object of akarot)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭṭāṭṭa (अट्टाट्ट-प्रातिपदिक, onomatopoetic 'loud') + hāsa (हास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: aṭṭāṭṭaḥ hāsaḥ; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• akarot: made, uttered
• akarot: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (imperfect/past), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• pūrayan: filling
• pūrayan: Karta (कर्ता/agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pṝ (पॄ धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-pratyaya (present active participle), Parasmaipada; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agreeing with vīrabhadraḥ

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• jagat-trayam: the three worlds
• jagat-trayam: Karma (कर्म/object of pūrayan)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (जगत्-प्रातिपदिक) + traya (त्रय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu-samāsa (numerical): trīṇi jaganti; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: destructive

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: tri-loka-kampana (cosmic reverberation motif: laughter filling three worlds)

Characters & Entities

• Vīrabhadra
• Dakṣa

FAQs

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

Vīrabhadra’s world-filling laughter signifies the collapse of arrogant ritualism (yajña without devotion) and the triumph of Śiva’s dharma: when ego-led sacrifice opposes the Pati (Lord), it is purged so the soul may return toward humility and right worship.

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

Vīrabhadra is a fierce saguna manifestation of Śiva’s will, illustrating that the same Lord worshipped as the auspicious Liṅga also protects dharma through awe-inspiring forms; true Liṅga-worship is devotion-centered, not pride-centered like Dakṣa’s yajña.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to purify worship with humility: perform Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as an inner offering, ensuring ritual is aligned with bhakti and surrender rather than status or ego.