Shloka 27

रुद्राक्ष-माहात्म्य

Rudrākṣa Māhātmya — The Greatness of Rudraksha

Devanagari script

त्रिभिः शतैः षष्टियुक्तैस्त्रिरावृत्त्या तथा पुनः । रुद्रा क्षैरुपवीतं व निर्मीयाद्भक्तितत्परः

Transliteration

tribhiḥ śataiḥ ṣaṣṭiyuktaistrirāvṛttyā tathā punaḥ | rudrā kṣairupavītaṃ va nirmīyādbhaktitatparaḥ

Translation

Upavīta hendaknya dibuat dari tiga ratus enam puluh butir rudrākṣa, disusun dalam tiga putaran (tiga untai) berulang. Seorang bhakta yang tekun dalam bhakti hendaknya merangkainya sesuai tata-vidhi.

Word by Word

• tribhiḥ: with three
• tribhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण — Instrumental plural

• śataiḥ: hundreds
• śataiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Instrumental plural, neuter

• ṣaṣṭi-yuktaiḥ: combined with sixty
• ṣaṣṭi-yuktaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj युज्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ट्या युक्त) — Instrumental plural, 'joined with sixty'

• triḥ: thrice
• triḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: triḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, संख्यावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• āvṛttyā: by repetition/turning
• āvṛttyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āvṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular, feminine

• tathā: thus/also
• tathā: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अव्यय-समुच्चय/क्रियाविशेषण

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• rudrākṣaiḥ: with rudrākṣa beads
• rudrākṣaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra-akṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास — Instrumental plural

• upavītam: sacred thread
• upavītam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upavīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular, neuter

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• nirmīyāt: should make
• nirmīyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mā (धातु; माङ्/मा ‘measure/make’) + nis- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-युक्त — should fashion/construct

• bhakti-tatparaḥ: one devoted to devotion
• bhakti-tatparaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + tatpara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (भक्तौ तत्परः) — Nominative singular, masculine

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Rudrākṣa-upavīta functions as a continual vow-sign (vrata-cihna), aligning daily conduct with Śiva-dharma and supporting liberation-oriented discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudraksha

FAQs

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

It elevates Rudrākṣa from ornament to sacrament: wearing a Rudrākṣa upavīta with devotion is presented as an outer sign of inner surrender to Pati (Śiva), supporting purity of conduct and steady bhakti that leads toward liberation.

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

Rudrākṣa is a Shaiva emblem used while performing Saguna worship—especially Linga-pūjā—so the devotee’s body becomes aligned with Shiva’s symbols, reinforcing remembrance (smaraṇa) and ritual eligibility during offerings, japa, and worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes making/wearing a Rudrākṣa-bead sacred thread (upavīta) with a specific count and triple arrangement, to be used alongside bhakti practices such as Shiva japa (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī) and regular pūjā.