Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

नमोनमः कारणकारणाय दिव्यामृतज्ञानविभूतिदाय । समस्तलोकांतरभूतिदाय प्रकाशरूपाय परात्पराय

Transliteration

namonamaḥ kāraṇakāraṇāya divyāmṛtajñānavibhūtidāya | samastalokāṃtarabhūtidāya prakāśarūpāya parātparāya

Translation

Hommage, hommage sans cesse à Śiva, Cause de toutes les causes, qui dispense la connaissance divine et immortelle ainsi que la souveraineté spirituelle ; qui accorde l’existence et le bien-être à travers tous les mondes ; dont la nature est la conscience lumineuse, le Suprême au-delà du suprême.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; नमस्कारार्थक (salutation)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/भाव (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; पुनरुक्ति-नमस्कार (salutation again)

• कारण-कारणाय: to the cause of causes
• कारण-कारणाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थतः), चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कारणस्य कारणम्’ (dative singular: to the cause of causes)

• दिव्य-अमृत-ज्ञान-विभूति-दाय: to the giver of divine immortal knowledge and glory
• दिव्य-अमृत-ज्ञान-विभूति-दाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूति (प्रातिपदिक) + दाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘दिव्यस्य अमृतस्य ज्ञानस्य विभूतेः दाता’ (dative singular: to the giver of divine-nectar-like knowledge and power)

• समस्त-लोक-अन्तर-भूति-दाय: to the giver of prosperity to all worlds and inner realms
• समस्त-लोक-अन्तर-भूति-दाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + भूति (प्रातिपदिक) + दाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘समस्तेषु लोकेषु अन्तरेषु च भूतेः दाता’ (dative singular: giver of prosperity to all worlds and inner realms)

• प्रकाश-रूपाय: to the one whose form is light
• प्रकाश-रूपाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थतः), चतुर्थी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘प्रकाशस्य रूपम्’ (dative singular: to the one whose form is light)

• परात्-पराय: to the supreme beyond the beyond
• परात्-पराय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘परात् परः’ (dative singular: to the supreme beyond the beyond)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not tied to a single Jyotirliṅga; the epithets ‘kāraṇa-kāraṇa’ and ‘prakāśa-rūpa’ are pan-Śaiva theological titles used across kṣetras.

Significance: Frames Śiva as giver of amṛta-jñāna (liberating knowledge) and vibhūti (glory/power), aligning pilgrimage with inner transformation rather than mere merit.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमोनमः कारणकारणाय दिव्यामृतज्ञानविभूतिदाय । समस्तलोकांतरभूतिदाय प्रकाशरूपाय परात्पराय

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Metaphysical assertion of Śiva as the ultimate cause and as consciousness-light (prakāśa) beyond all hierarchies

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It praises Shiva as Pati—the ultimate Lord who is the cause behind all causality—granting amṛta-jñāna (liberating knowledge) and sustaining all realms, indicating that moksha arises through His grace and illumination (prakāśa).

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

Though Shiva is invoked as parātpara (transcendent), devotees approach Him through Saguna worship such as the Shiva-linga, where the formless luminous reality (prakāśa-rūpa) is reverently contemplated in a tangible emblem.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A focused practice is japa with salutations (namo namaḥ) and meditation on Shiva as inner light (prakāśa), optionally supported by Shaiva aids like vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya).