Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 35

शिवलोकप्रवेशः

Entry into Śivaloka through successive gateways

Devanagari script

तमसा प्रलये रुद्रो जगत्संहारकारकः । निस्त्रैगुण्ये शिवाख्यातस्तुर्य्यो ज्योतिः स्वरूपकः

Transliteration

tamasā pralaye rudro jagatsaṃhārakārakaḥ | nistraiguṇye śivākhyātasturyyo jyotiḥ svarūpakaḥ

Translation

Au temps de la dissolution, par la puissance du tamas, Rudra devient l’agent qui retire et dissout l’univers. Mais dans l’état au-delà des trois guṇas, Il est connu comme Śiva : le Quatrième (turīya), dont la nature même est la Lumière pure (jyotis).

Word by Word

• तमसा: by (the quality of) tamas
• तमसा: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — by tamas

• प्रलये: at the time of dissolution
• प्रलये: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — at dissolution

• रुद्रः: (you are) Rudra
• रुद्रः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Rudra

• जगत्-संहार-कारकः: agent of the world’s destruction
• जगत्-संहार-कारकः: प्रत्ययार्थ-सम्बन्ध (Predicate/उपाधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + संहार (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — doer of the destruction of the world

• निः-त्रैगुण्ये: in transcendence of the three guṇas
• निः-त्रैगुण्ये: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + त्रैगुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — in the state beyond the three guṇas

• शिव-आख्यातः: known as Śiva
• शिव-आख्यातः: प्रत्ययार्थ-सम्बन्ध (Predicate/नामधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ-ख्या धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — called ‘Śiva’

• तुर्य्यः: the fourth (state)
• तुर्य्यः: प्रत्ययार्थ-सम्बन्ध (Predicate/उपाधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — the Fourth (state)

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: प्रत्ययार्थ-सम्बन्ध (Predicate/उपाधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — light

• स्वरूपकः: whose essence is (that)
• स्वरूपकः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वरूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — having the nature/essence

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya within the Rudra Saṃhitā context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: तमसा प्रलये रुद्रो जगत्संहारकारकः । निस्त्रैगुण्ये शिवाख्यातस्तुर्य्यो ज्योतिः स्वरूपकः

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pralaya (cosmic dissolution)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It distinguishes Shiva’s cosmic role (Rudra dissolving the universe during pralaya through tamas as a functional power) from His ultimate reality: Śiva beyond the three guṇas, the turīya state of pure consciousness-light.

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

Saguna worship (such as Liṅga-pūjā) approaches Shiva through divine attributes and cosmic functions like saṃhāra; this verse points the devotee beyond those functions to the nirguṇa Śiva, the inner Jyoti realized through purified devotion and contemplation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as inner Jyoti (light of awareness) while japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids to vairāgya and guṇa-transcendence.