Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18

संध्याचरित्रवर्णनम् (Sandhyā-caritra-varṇanam) — “Narration of Sandhyā’s Austerity and Encounter with Śiva”

Devanagari script

प्रधानपुरुषौ यस्य कायत्वेन विनिर्गतौ । तस्मादव्यक्तरूपाय शंकराय नमोनमः

Transliteration

pradhānapuruṣau yasya kāyatvena vinirgatau | tasmādavyaktarūpāya śaṃkarāya namonamaḥ

Translation

Salutations encore et encore à Śaṅkara, dont le propre corps fait surgir Pradhāna (la Nature primordiale) et Puruṣa (le principe conscient). Ainsi, hommage au Seigneur de forme non manifestée (avyakta).

Word by Word

• प्रधानपुरुषौ: Pradhāna and Puruṣa
• प्रधानपुरुषौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन

• यस्य: whose/of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case, genitive), एकवचन

• कायत्‍वेन: as embodiment/in the state of being a body
• कायत्‍वेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कायत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case, instrumental), एकवचन

• विनिर्गतौ: having emerged/issued forth
• विनिर्गतौ: Kriya (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + निर् + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), द्विवचन

• तस्मात्: from him/therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी (5th case, ablative), एकवचन

• अव्यक्तरूपाय: to the one of unmanifest form
• अव्यक्तरूपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विशेषणपूर्वपद); पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case, dative), एकवचन

• शंकराय: to Śaṅkara
• शंकराय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case, dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; नमोनमः-प्रयोगे पुनरुक्ति

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: प्रधानपुरुषौ यस्य कायत्वेन विनिर्गतौ । तस्मादव्यक्तरूपाय शंकराय नमोनमः

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-sṛṣṭi (implied cosmogenesis from pradhāna-puruṣa)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It proclaims Śiva as the supreme source and inner support of both Pradhāna (Nature) and Puruṣa (conscious principle), affirming Him as Pati—transcendent and yet the ground of manifestation—worthy of repeated surrender.

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

Though Śiva is praised as Avyakta (unmanifest), devotees approach Him through Saguna forms such as the Śiva-liṅga, where the transcendent Lord becomes a tangible focus for devotion while remaining beyond all formed categories like Prakṛti and Puruṣa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A direct takeaway is japa of Śiva’s name/mantra (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with contemplation of Śiva as both beyond manifestation (Avyakta) and the source of all cosmic principles.