Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 3

रुद्राविर्भावकारणम् — Causes and Pattern of Rudra’s Manifestation

Pratikalpa

Devanagari script

तस्य दुःखप्रशांत्यर्थं प्रजानां च विवृद्धये । तत्तत्कल्पेषु कालात्मा रुद्रो रुद्रगणाधिपः

Transliteration

tasya duḥkhapraśāṃtyarthaṃ prajānāṃ ca vivṛddhaye | tattatkalpeṣu kālātmā rudro rudragaṇādhipaḥ

Translation

Afin de faire cesser leur souffrance et de favoriser l’épanouissement des êtres, Rudra —dont l’essence même est le Temps— se manifeste en chaque kalpa comme le Seigneur des Rudra-gaṇas.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him (Brahmā)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular (of him/its)

• दुःखप्रशान्त्यर्थम्: for the pacification of sorrow
• दुःखप्रशान्त्यर्थम्: प्रयोजन (Prayojana/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular used adverbially: ‘for the purpose of’; (दुःखस्य प्रशान्तेः अर्थम्)

• प्रजानाम्: of creatures
• प्रजानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

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

• विवृद्धये: for increase/growth
• विवृद्धये: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; Dative singular (for/in order to increase)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; used as distributive with repetition (tattat)

• तत्: each respective
• तत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (tattat = each respective)

• कल्पेषु: in (those) kalpas
• कल्पेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; Locative plural

• कालात्मा: Time-embodied (one)
• कालात्मा: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘whose essence is Time / time-natured’

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• रुद्रगणाधिपः: lord of the Rudra hosts
• रुद्रगणाधिपः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘lord of the Rudra-groups’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Rudra’s recurring manifestation each kalpa to restore continuity and flourishing

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Rudra-gaṇas

FAQs

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

It presents Rudra as Pati, the compassionate Lord who enters every kalpa to quiet the duḥkha of beings and to sustain their right growth, showing that Shiva’s governance is both protective and liberating.

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

Calling Rudra the Lord of the gaṇas and the embodiment of Time points to Saguna Shiva—worshipped as the Linga—who actively regulates creation, preservation, and dissolution for the soul’s maturation toward release.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as Kāla (Time) with japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering bhakti to the Linga to seek praśānti (inner pacification) and steadiness through life’s cycles.