Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18

शिवागमन-नाद-समागमः (Śiva’s Advent, the Drum-Sound, and the Cosmic Assembly)

Devanagari script

अग्निकश्शतकोट्या वै कोट्याभिमुख एव च । आदित्यमूर्द्धा कोट्या च तथा चैव धनावहः

Transliteration

agnikaśśatakoṭyā vai koṭyābhimukha eva ca | ādityamūrddhā koṭyā ca tathā caiva dhanāvahaḥ

Translation

En vérité, il est cent crores dont le visage est le Feu ; un crore dont la tête est le Soleil ; et de même celui qui porte et dispense la richesse : ainsi sont décrites ces grandes manifestations cosmiques.

Word by Word

• अग्निकः: Agnika (name)
• अग्निकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शत-कोट्या: with a hundred crores
• शत-कोट्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (शतं कोटयः = hundred crores)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरण (emphatic particle)

• कोट्या: with a crore
• कोट्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अभिमुखः: facing towards / turned toward
• अभिमुखः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अभि-पूर्वक ‘मुख’ = facing towards)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• आदित्य-मूर्द्धा: Ādityamūrdhā (name; ‘sun-headed’)
• आदित्य-मूर्द्धा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य + मूर्द्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आदित्यस्य मूर्द्धा)

• कोट्या: with a crore
• कोट्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (connector/adverb)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• धनावहः: Dhanāvaha (name; ‘bringer of wealth’)
• धनावहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (धनम् आवहति इति)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya within the Rudra Saṃhitā’s creation account)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Elemental/celestial mapping: Agni (tejas) and Āditya (solar head) as markers of a theophanic, macrocosmic body of Śiva’s manifestation.

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Aditya (Sun)

FAQs

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

It portrays vast cosmic groupings symbolically marked by Agni (fire), Āditya (sun), and dhana (prosperity), pointing to how all powers in creation function as manifestations within Shiva’s orderly governance (Pati) in a Shaiva Siddhanta reading.

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

By listing cosmic powers (fire, sun, wealth) as structured manifestations, the verse supports Saguna worship: devotees honor these energies as dependent on Shiva, and the Linga is revered as the unifying sign through which all such functions are integrated and transcended.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is contemplative japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) while visualizing Shiva as the inner ruler of Agni and Sūrya, offering all prosperity (dhana) back to Shiva with a spirit of non-attachment.