Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 9

कैलासमार्गे शङ्करस्य परीक्षा — Śiva Tests the Approachers on the Kailāsa Path

Devanagari script

अथो पुरंदरोऽपृच्छत्स्वाधिकारेण दुर्मदः । पुरुषं तं स्वमार्गांतस्थितमज्ञाय शंकरम्

Transliteration

atho puraṃdaro'pṛcchatsvādhikāreṇa durmadaḥ | puruṣaṃ taṃ svamārgāṃtasthitamajñāya śaṃkaram

Translation

Alors Purandara (Indra), enivré d’orgueil de sa propre autorité, interrogea cette Personne qui se tenait au terme de son chemin, sans reconnaître qu’Il était Śaṅkara (le Seigneur Śiva).

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्योपक्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक (sequencing particle)

• उ: indeed
• उ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुरन्दरः: Purandara (Indra)
• पुरन्दरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपृच्छत्: asked
• अपृच्छत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वाधिकारेण: by (his) own authority
• स्वाधिकारेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य अधिकारः)

• दुर्मदः: arrogant
• दुर्मदः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्मद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (दुः + मदः)

• पुरुषम्: the person
• पुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्वमार्गान्तस्थितम्: standing at the end of his path
• स्वमार्गान्तस्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + मार्ग + अन्त + स्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वमार्गस्य अन्ते स्थितः)

• अज्ञाय: not knowing
• अज्ञाय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal); न-प्रयोगार्थः ‘अज्ञाय’ = ‘not knowing’

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पुरुषम्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य-सम्बन्धेण समानाधिकरण (appositional)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Indra (Purandara)

FAQs

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

It shows how āṇava (ego) blinds even mighty gods: limited authority cannot comprehend Pati (Śiva), who stands beyond the reach of worldly power, and recognition dawns only through humility and grace.

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

Śiva is present as the knowable, manifest Lord (saguṇa) who can stand before beings, yet He is not recognized by prideful vision—implying that Linga/Saguna worship succeeds when approached with surrender rather than entitlement.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate humility through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and self-examination before worship (optionally with Tripuṇḍra/bhasma), replacing self-importance with devotion and receptivity to Śiva’s grace.