Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 38

अध्याय ३८ — काली-शंखचूड-युद्धे अस्त्रप्रयोगः

Kālī and Śaṅkhacūḍa: Mantra-Weapons and Surrender in Battle

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे द्वि० रुद्रसं०पं०युद्धखंडे शंखचूडवधे कालीयुद्धवर्णनं नामाष्टत्रिंशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe dvi0 rudrasaṃ0paṃ0yuddhakhaṃḍe śaṃkhacūḍavadhe kālīyuddhavarṇanaṃ nāmāṣṭatriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Demikianlah dalam Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, pada Bagian Kedua, dalam Rudra-saṃhitā, pada Yuddha-khaṇḍa, dalam kisah pembunuhan Śaṅkhacūḍa, berakhir bab ke-38 berjudul “Uraian Pertempuran Kālī.”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यन्त-निपात (quotative particle)

• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; बहुपद-कर्मधारय-समास (honorific + name + epithet)

• द्वितीये: in the second (part)
• द्वितीये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• रुद्र-संहितायाम्: in the Rudra-saṃhitā
• रुद्र-संहितायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रुद्रस्य संहिता

• पञ्चमे: in the fifth (section)
• पञ्चमे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• युद्ध-खण्डे: in the Yuddha-khaṇḍa
• युद्ध-खण्डे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + खण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: युद्धस्य खण्डः

• शंखचूड-वधे: in (the episode of) the slaying of Śaṅkhacūḍa
• शंखचूड-वधे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंखचूड (प्रातिपदिक) + वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: शंखचूडस्य वधः

• काली-युद्ध-वर्णनम्: the description of Kāli’s battle
• काली-युद्ध-वर्णनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Title-subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक) + युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (nested): कालीयाः युद्धस्य वर्णनम्

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Title marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: संज्ञासूचक अव्यय (name-indicator)

• अष्टत्रिंशः: thirty-eighth
• अष्टत्रिंशः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टत्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (ordinal sense: thirty-eighth)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता/Title head)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narratorial colophon concluding the chapter)

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Colophon verse concluding the chapter on Kālī’s battle in the Śaṅkhacūḍa-vadha narrative; it functions as an editorial end-marker rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kali
• Shankhachuda

FAQs

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

This is a colophon marking the completion of a chapter: it frames the narrative as sacred teaching, highlighting that the victory over Śaṅkhacūḍa is ultimately the triumph of Śiva-Śakti over adharmic forces—symbolically, the conquest of ego and bondage (pāśa) that obstruct liberation.

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

By situating the episode within the Śiva Mahāpurāṇa’s Rudra-saṃhitā, it reinforces Saguna devotion: Śiva’s grace operates in history through divine powers, and Kālī’s battle is understood as Śiva-Śakti’s protective action for dharma—encouraging devotees to worship Śiva (often as Liṅga) with faith in His active compassion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

As a chapter-end marker, it implies a paṭha (recitation) practice: devotees may conclude study with remembrance of Śiva-Śakti and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) for inner strength, protection, and purification.