Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 47
अन्धक-प्रश्नः — Inquiry into Andhaka
Genealogy and Nature
स्वस्थानमागत्य ततो धरित्रीं दृष्ट्वांकुरेणोद्धरतः प्रहृष्टः । भूमिं च पातालतलान्महात्मा पुपोष भागं त्वथ पूर्वकं तु
svasthānamāgatya tato dharitrīṃ dṛṣṭvāṃkureṇoddharataḥ prahṛṣṭaḥ | bhūmiṃ ca pātālatalānmahātmā pupoṣa bhāgaṃ tvatha pūrvakaṃ tu
Revenu en sa demeure, voyant la Terre soulevée par le jeune bourgeon, le grand d’âme se réjouit. Puis, tirant la Terre des niveaux de Pātāla, il la nourrit et la rétablit, lui rendant sa part telle qu’elle était auparavant.
Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: Earth-restoration motif (bhū-uddhāra) from Pātāla; re-establishment of cosmic ‘bhāga’ (proper allotment/order)
FAQs
The verse highlights restoration (pōṣaṇa) as a divine function: when disorder drags creation into “nether” states, the higher power re-establishes Bhūmī in her rightful order, mirroring how Pati (the Lord) uplifts the bound soul (paśu) from the depths of bondage.
Though the verse is narrative, its thrust is Saguna grace—God acting within the world to uphold dharma. In Linga-worship, devotees approach Shiva as the sustaining presence who stabilizes creation and re-centers life back to its proper spiritual orientation.
A practical takeaway is daily grounding worship to restore inner order: recite the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and a brief prayer for steadiness (dhṛti) and upliftment from tamas—symbolically “raising Bhūmī” within oneself.