Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 19

दक्षयज्ञ-प्रसङ्गे देवतानां आश्वासनं तथा दण्डविधानम् | Consolation of the Devas and the Ordinance of Consequences in the Dakṣa-Yajña Episode

Devanagari script

वीरभद्र महाबाहो किं कृतं कर्म ते त्विदम् । महान्दंडो धृतस्तात देवर्ष्यादिषु सत्वरम्

Transliteration

vīrabhadra mahābāho kiṃ kṛtaṃ karma te tvidam | mahāndaṃḍo dhṛtastāta devarṣyādiṣu satvaram

Translation

Ô Vīrabhadra aux bras puissants ! Quel est donc cet acte que tu as accompli ? Mon enfant, tu as promptement levé un châtiment sévère contre les sages divins et d’autres encore.

Word by Word

• vīrabhadra: O Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra + bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana; proper name

• mahā-bāho: O mighty-armed one
• mahā-bāho: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya

• kim: what?
• kim: Karma (कर्म) (interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), Ekavacana; interrogative

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण) / predicate of karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (क्त), Bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle), Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; agrees with karma

• karma: deed, act
• karma: Karma (कर्म) / viṣaya (topic) of question
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc.), Ekavacana

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana; enclitic form

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (contrastive particle)

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣya (reference) of karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc.), Ekavacana

• mahān: great
• mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of daṇḍaḥ
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nom./1st), Ekavacana

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment, staff
• daṇḍaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) in passive construction with dhṛtaḥ (logical subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nom./1st), Ekavacana

• dhṛtaḥ: has been imposed/held
• dhṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया) (passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (क्त), Bhūta-kṛdanta (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom./1st), Ekavacana; passive sense ‘has been held/imposed’

• tāta: O dear one/son
• tāta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana

• deva-ṛṣi-ādiṣu: among gods, sages, and others
• deva-ṛṣi-ādiṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + ṛṣi + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/7th), Bahuvacana (Plural); dvandva with ādi ‘and others’: devas and sages etc.

• satvaram: quickly, hastily
• satvaram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satvaram (अव्यय)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avya ya (adverb)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (inferred, addressing Virabhadra in the Sati Khanda narrative)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Characters & Entities

• Virabhadra
• Devarshi (divine sages)

FAQs

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

It highlights that even Shiva’s fierce, saguna expressions (through Vīrabhadra) are governed by dharma—power must be tempered by discernment, and punishment should not become uncontrolled rage.

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

Vīrabhadra represents Saguna Shiva’s protective and corrective force; Linga-worship teaches inner surrender and purification so that divine power manifests as grace and right order, not impulsive violence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate restraint through japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and contemplative focus on Shiva as Pati (the guiding Lord), so anger is transformed into disciplined, dharmic action.