Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 6

सृष्टिक्रमवर्णनम् / Description of the Sequence of Creation

Devanagari script

असृजं त्वां तदोत्संगाच्छायायाः कर्दमं मुनिम् । संकल्पादसृजं धर्मं सर्वसाधनसाधनम्

Transliteration

asṛjaṃ tvāṃ tadotsaṃgācchāyāyāḥ kardamaṃ munim | saṃkalpādasṛjaṃ dharmaṃ sarvasādhanasādhanam

Translation

« Du giron de cette ombre, je t'ai créé — Kardama, le sage. Et par simple intention, j'ai fait naître le Dharma, le moyen universel par lequel toutes les disciplines spirituelles sont accomplies. »

Word by Word

• असृजम्: I created
• असृजम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Imperfect, 1st person singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (‘you’)

• तत्-उत्सङ्गात्: from his lap
• तत्-उत्सङ्गात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य उत्सङ्गः) — Ablative singular, masculine

• छायायाः: of (the) shadow
• छायायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (‘of the shadow’)

• कर्दमम्: Kardama
• कर्दमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular, masculine

• मुनिम्: sage
• मुनिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular, masculine

• संकल्पात्: from (my) will/intention
• संकल्पात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Ablative singular, masculine

• असृजम्: I created
• असृजम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Imperfect, 1st person singular

• धर्मम्: Dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular, masculine

• सर्व-साधन-साधनम्: the means of all means / the instrument for all accomplishments
• सर्व-साधन-साधनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक) + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां साधनानां साधनम्) — Accusative singular, neuter; विशेषणम् धर्मम् प्रति

Speaker

Brahmā

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: emanation of Kardama and personified Dharma through shadow and saṅkalpa

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Kardama
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It presents Dharma as a divinely instituted cosmic principle: the very support that makes all spiritual effort effective, guiding the bound soul (paśu) toward purification and liberation under the Lord’s governance (Pati).

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

Linga-worship and all Saguna Shiva practices bear fruit when grounded in dharma—truthfulness, purity, restraint, and devotion—because dharma is described here as the enabling instrument behind every sādhana.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt dharmic discipline as the daily foundation—clean conduct, sattvic living, and regular japa (such as the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—so that worship, bhasma, and other Shaiva observances become spiritually potent.