Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 13

अन्धक-प्रश्नः — Inquiry into Andhaka

Genealogy and Nature

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । पुराऽऽगतो भक्तकृपाकरोऽसौ कैलासतश्शैलसुता गणाढ्यः । विहर्तुकामः किल काशिका वै स्वशैलतो निर्जरचक्रवती

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | purā''gato bhaktakṛpākaro'sau kailāsataśśailasutā gaṇāḍhyaḥ | vihartukāmaḥ kila kāśikā vai svaśailato nirjaracakravatī

Translation

Sanatkumāra dit : Jadis, Śailasutā (Pārvatī), bienfaitrice compatissante des dévots, vint du Kailāsa, richement entourée de ses gaṇas. Désireuse de se divertir, elle quitta sa montagne et se rendit à Kāśikā, accompagnée d’un cortège d’êtres divins.

Word by Word

• सनत्कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत्कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—सनत्+कुमार (कर्मधारय)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• आगतः: having come/arrived
• आगतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भक्तकृपाकरः: one who is a source of compassion for devotees
• भक्तकृपाकरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त+कृपा+कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—भक्तानां कृपायाः करः/आकरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कैलासतः: from Kailāsa
• कैलासतः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• शैलसुता: the mountain’s daughter (Pārvatī)
• शैलसुता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल+सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—शैलस्य सुता (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गणाढ्यः: rich in attendants/gaṇas
• गणाढ्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गणाढ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—गणैः आढ्यः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• विहर्तुकामः: desiring to sport/play
• विहर्तुकामः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-हृ (धातु) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तुमुन्-अन्त (infinitive) + काम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—विहर्तुं कामः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; reportative/emphatic)

• काशिका: Kāśikā (Vārāṇasī)
• काशिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• स्वशैलतः: from her own mountain
• स्वशैलतः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व+शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; समासः—स्वः शैलः (कर्मधारय)

• निर्जरचक्रवती: having a circle/host of gods (attendants)
• निर्जरचक्रवती: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जर+चक्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—निर्जराणां चक्रवत् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī is portrayed as Śiva’s eternal city where liberation is near; here Pārvatī descends from Kailāsa with gaṇas for divine play, foreshadowing the establishment/guardianship of Kāśī’s sacred order under Śiva’s domain.

Significance: Darśana in Kāśī is held to grant purification and proximity to mokṣa; Viśvanātha is central to Kāśī’s identity as Śiva’s kṣetra.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Kailasa
• Kashi
• Ganas
• Devas

FAQs

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

The verse frames Pārvatī’s journey as compassionate divine līlā: the Lord’s śakti moves for the welfare of devotees, showing that sacred geography (like Kāśī) becomes a channel for grace and upliftment in the Shaiva path.

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

By highlighting Pārvatī’s presence with gaṇas and devas, the narrative points to Saguna Shiva’s living sacred realm—where pilgrimage and temple worship (including Linga worship in Kāśī) are supported by divine attendants and become accessible means to receive Śiva-Śakti’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied takeaway is tīrtha-yātrā with bhakti: remembering Śiva in Kāśī through japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and simple Shaiva observances (Tripuṇḍra/bhasma, Rudrākṣa) as devotion-centered supports.