Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 11

हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्

The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms

Devanagari script

अज्ञानज्ञानयोस्तत्त्वं विवेचयति हंसकः । हंसरूपं धृतं तेन ब्रह्मणा सृष्टिकारिणा

Transliteration

ajñānajñānayostattvaṃ vivecayati haṃsakaḥ | haṃsarūpaṃ dhṛtaṃ tena brahmaṇā sṛṣṭikāriṇā

Translation

Le Haṁsa (l’âme douée de discernement) distingue la véritable nature de l’ignorance et de la connaissance. C’est pourquoi Brahmā, le Créateur, prit la forme du Haṁsa, afin que la création s’accomplît par le juste discernement.

Word by Word

• ajñāna-jñānayoḥ: of ignorance and knowledge
• ajñāna-jñānayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी) Dual (द्विवचन) — ‘of ignorance and knowledge’

• tattvam: the true principle/essence
• tattvam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• vivecayati: discriminates, analyzes
• vivecayati: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√vic (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Eka-vacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• haṃsakaḥ: the swan (Haṃsa)
• haṃsakaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• haṃsa-rūpam: the swan-form
• haṃsa-rūpam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘form of a swan’

• dhṛtam: was assumed/held
• dhṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past Passive Participle (क्त/कृत), Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/Dvitīyā Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘haṃsa-rūpam’

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Puṃ/Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Kartā (कर्ता/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• sṛṣṭi-kāriṇā: (by) the creator
• sṛṣṭi-kāriṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया) Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) ‘creator of creation’; qualifies ‘brahmaṇā’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It highlights viveka (discernment) as the turning point from ajñāna (bondage) to jñāna (liberating insight). The Haṁsa symbolizes the purified inner faculty that separates truth from confusion—an essential step toward Shiva-realization.

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

Linga-worship trains the mind toward the one Reality (Shiva) behind names and forms. By steady devotion and contemplation, the seeker gains Haṁsa-like discrimination, seeing Saguna worship as a doorway to the higher truth beyond ignorance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with mindful discrimination—rejecting distracting thoughts as ajñāna and holding to Shiva-remembrance as jñāna; Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and rudrākṣa support this sattvic focus.