Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33

हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्

The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms

Devanagari script

प्रविष्टे विष्णुना तस्मिन्नण्डे सम्यक्स्तुतेन मे । सचेतनमभूदण्डं चतुर्विंशतिसंज्ञकम्

Transliteration

praviṣṭe viṣṇunā tasminnaṇḍe samyakstutena me | sacetanamabhūdaṇḍaṃ caturviṃśatisaṃjñakam

Translation

Lorsque Viṣṇu entra dans cet Œuf cosmique—après m’avoir loué comme il se doit—l’Œuf devint conscient et agissant, et fut connu comme la structure « au nombre de vingt-quatre ».

Word by Word

• प्रविष्टे: when (he) had entered
• प्रविष्टे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश् (धातु √विश्)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त/क्त), सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; लोके सप्तमी ("when entered")

• विष्णुना: by Viṣṇu
• विष्णुना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; निर्देश (in that)

• अण्डे: in the egg
• अण्डे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: properly/well)

• स्तुतेन: by (his) praise
• स्तुतेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु √स्तु)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त/क्त), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; instrumental of means: "by praise"

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; enclitic form

• स-चेतनम्: conscious/ensouled
• स-चेतनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्ग-सदृश) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ("चेतनं सह" = endowed with consciousness), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of अण्डम्)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु √भू)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist/अनद्यतन-भूत), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अण्डम्: the egg
• अण्डम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• चतुर्विंशति-संज्ञकम्: named ‘Twenty-four’
• चतुर्विंशति-संज्ञकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंशति (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (निर्देश/सम्बन्ध: "चतुर्विंशतिः संज्ञा यस्य" / "चतुर्विंशतिसंज्ञक"), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of अण्डम्)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Sadāśiva/Rudra), narrated within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa discourse

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: animation of the 24-tattva aṇḍa (jaḍa → sacetana) through īśvara-anugraha mediated by stuti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It teaches that mere material potential (the cosmic egg) becomes truly ‘alive’ only through divine activation under Shiva’s supremacy; creation proceeds when consciousness and order are infused by the Lord’s grace, not by inert matter alone.

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

The Linga symbolizes Shiva as the source and support of manifestation; just as the egg becomes sentient by divine presence, the devotee experiences inner awakening by approaching Saguna Shiva through worship, praise (stuti), and reverent surrender.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse highlights stuti (devotional praise) as a means to invoke divine activation; a practical takeaway is daily recitation of Shiva-stuti and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’ to awaken sattva and spiritual clarity.