Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 14

शिवस्तुतिवर्णनम् (Śiva-stuti-varṇanam) — “Description of Hymns in Praise of Śiva”

Devanagari script

तारकोसि जगत्यस्मिन्सर्वेषामधिपोऽव्ययः । वरदो वाङ्मयो वाच्यो वाच्यवाचकवर्जितः

Transliteration

tārakosi jagatyasminsarveṣāmadhipo'vyayaḥ | varado vāṅmayo vācyo vācyavācakavarjitaḥ

Translation

En ce monde, Tu es le sauveur qui fait traverser les êtres. Tu es le souverain impérissable de tous. Tu es le dispensateur de grâces ; Tu es de la nature du son sacré et de la Parole. Tu es la Réalité que les mots peuvent indiquer, et pourtant Tu dépasses l’exprimable et l’exprimant—libre de la dualité du désigné et du désignant.

Word by Word

• तारकः: the savior/deliverer
• तारकः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असि: you are
• असि: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• जगति: in the world
• जगति: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: विशेषण (Determiner of जगति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• अधिपः: lord
• अधिपः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: विशेषण (Adjective of अधिपः/त्वम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वरदः: giver of boons
• वरदः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वाङ्मयः: made of speech
• वाङ्मयः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाक् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वाङ्मय = ‘consisting of speech/word-made’)

• वाच्यः: expressible/denotable
• वाच्यः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाच्य (प्रातिपदिक; √वच् (धातु) से)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/य-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘to be spoken/denoted’

• वाच्य-वाचक-वर्जितः: free from signified and signifier
• वाच्य-वाचक-वर्जितः: विधेय (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाच्य + वाचक + वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; √वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु) से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (वाच्य-वाचक-वर्जित = ‘devoid of the denoted and the denoter’)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames Śiva as Tāraka (the one who ferries across saṃsāra), a doctrinal basis for tīrtha-yātrā and liṅga-darśana as aids to liberation rather than ends in themselves.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It praises Shiva as Pati—the imperishable Lord who grants grace and liberation—while affirming that His highest reality transcends conceptual thought and linguistic description (beyond vācya and vācaka).

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

Calling Shiva “varada” supports Saguna worship—approaching Him as the boon-giver through Linga-pūjā—while “vācya-vācaka-varjitaḥ” points to His Nirguna nature, reminding devotees that the Linga also signifies the indescribable Supreme beyond form and speech.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with contemplation that Shiva is both the source of mantra (vāk) and the Reality beyond words; offer bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and pray for His tāraka-grace that carries one beyond saṁsāra.