Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 40

शिवस्य सैन्यप्रयाणम् तथा गणपतिनामावलिः (Śiva’s Mobilization for War and the Catalogue of Gaṇa Commanders)

Devanagari script

खर्परं वर्तुलाकारं गंभीरं योजनायतम् । त्रिशूलं गगनस्पर्शिं शक्तिं च योजनायताम्

Transliteration

kharparaṃ vartulākāraṃ gaṃbhīraṃ yojanāyatam | triśūlaṃ gaganasparśiṃ śaktiṃ ca yojanāyatām

Translation

Il aperçut un immense kharpara, circulaire et profond, s’étendant sur un yojana ; et aussi un trident qui semblait toucher le ciel, ainsi qu’une lance longue d’un yojana — terribles emblèmes d’une puissance écrasante en cette bataille.

Word by Word

• खर्परम्: skull-bowl
• खर्परम्: कर्म (Object—item described/held)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वर्तुलाकारम्: round-shaped
• वर्तुलाकारम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्तुल-आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (वर्तुलः आकारः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; खर्पर-विशेषण

• गम्भीरम्: deep
• गम्भीरम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्भीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; खर्पर-विशेषण

• योजनायतम्: a yojana in length
• योजनायतम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योजन-आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (योजनम् आयतः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; खर्पर-विशेषण

• त्रिशूलम्: trident
• त्रिशूलम्: कर्म (Object—item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रीणि शूलानि यस्य/त्रिशूल—नाम), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• गगनस्पर्शिम्: sky-touching
• गगनस्पर्शिम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गगन-स्पर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गगनं स्पृशति इति), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; त्रिशूल-विशेषण

• शक्तिम्: spear/śakti weapon
• शक्तिम्: कर्म (Object—item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• योजनायताम्: a yojana in length
• योजनायताम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योजन-आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (योजनम् आयता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; शक्ति-विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse uses vast, sky-reaching weapons to convey the awe-inspiring sovereignty of the divine in the arena of dharma—reminding the devotee that worldly opposition is small before the Lord’s ordained power, and that protection ultimately rests with Śiva as Pati (the supreme Lord).

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

While Liṅga worship emphasizes Śiva’s transcendent reality, the Yuddhakhaṇḍa often presents Saguna Śiva through recognizable emblems like the triśūla and śakti; these forms help devotees meditate on His protective, world-ordering function alongside the formless truth indicated by the Liṅga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is triśūla-dhyāna: contemplate Śiva’s trident as mastery over the three guṇas and the three states of experience, while reciting the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) for inner steadiness and protection.