Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 36

सत्यप्रतिज्ञा-तपःसंवादः

Pārvatī’s Vow of Truth and the Dialogue on Her Tapas

Devanagari script

क्व च हारस्त्वदीयो वै क्व च तन्मुण्डमालिका । अंगरागः क्व ते दिव्यः चिताभस्म क्व तत्तनौ

Transliteration

kva ca hārastvadīyo vai kva ca tanmuṇḍamālikā | aṃgarāgaḥ kva te divyaḥ citābhasma kva tattanau

Translation

汝の首飾りはどこにあり、かの髑髏の鬘はどこにあるのか。汝の天なる香はどこにあり、彼の身に塗られた荼毘の灰はどこにあるのか。（あまりに相違して、いかに調和し得ようか）

Word by Word

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: where?)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• हारः: necklace
• हारः: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वदीयः: your
• त्वदीयः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वदीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (that)

• मुण्डमालिका: garland of skulls
• मुण्डमालिका: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुण्ड-मालिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अङ्गरागः: body-ointment/perfume
• अङ्गरागः: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग-राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिव्यः: divine
• दिव्यः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• चिताभस्म: cremation-ash
• चिताभस्म: Karta (कर्ता/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिता-भस्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तनौ: on the body
• तनौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Pārvatī (Umā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights a deliberate contrast between worldly auspicious adornment (a jeweled necklace and perfumes) and Shiva’s ascetic emblems (skull-garland and cremation ash). In Shaiva Siddhanta, this points to Shiva as Pati—transcending purity/impurity and worldly convention—teaching vairāgya and the impermanence of the body.

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

Saguna Shiva is worshipped with forms and symbols that instruct the devotee: bhasma signifies the reduction of ego and mortality to ash, and the muṇḍamālā signifies mastery over death and time. Linga-worship similarly directs the mind from outer appearance to the inner Reality of Shiva beyond opposites.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It supports the Shaiva practice of reverently applying bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) as a reminder of impermanence and surrender, while meditating on Shiva with mantra-japa—especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—to cultivate detachment and steady devotion.