Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12

हिमवतः सुमङ्गलोत्सव-नगररचना

Himavān’s Auspicious Festival Preparations and City Adornment

Devanagari script

क्वचित्स्त्रियः कृत्रिमाश्च नृत्यन्त्यः पुरुषैस्सह । मोहयन्त्यो जनान्सर्वान्पश्यन्त्यः कृत्रिमास्तथा

Transliteration

kvacitstriyaḥ kṛtrimāśca nṛtyantyaḥ puruṣaissaha | mohayantyo janānsarvānpaśyantyaḥ kṛtrimāstathā

Translation

ある所では作り物の女たちが男たちと共に舞っていた。彼女らは人々すべてを惑わし、その欺きの者たちはまた、作り顔であたりを見回していた。

Word by Word

• क्वचित्: somewhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक-अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (plural)

• कृत्रिमाः: artificial
• कृत्रिमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्रिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नृत्यन्त्यः: dancing
• नृत्यन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत् (धातु) → नृत्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ/शतृन्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/कर्तृवाचक (acting as predicate participle: 'dancing')

• पुरुषैः: with men
• पुरुषैः: Sahakaraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-प्रयोगे अव्यय (indeclinable used with instrumental; 'together with')

• मोहयन्त्यः: bewildering
• मोहयन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहयत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative; वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• जनान्: people
• जनान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पश्यन्त्यः: looking/appearing (as if seeing)
• पश्यन्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु) → पश्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कृत्रिमाः: artificial
• कृत्रिमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्रिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights moha—delusion created by contrivance and sense-display—as a form of bondage (pāśa). From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, it warns the seeker to discern appearances and turn the mind toward Pati (Shiva), the liberating Lord, rather than being captured by deceptive attractions.

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

By exposing the instability of worldly fascination, the verse implicitly directs attention to a stable support for devotion: Saguna Shiva worship (including the Linga) as a concrete focus for the mind. Linga-upasana steadies awareness away from distraction and toward Shiva, who alone cuts the bonds of delusion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is vigilance and restraint: practice japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") to purify attention, and adopt disciplined conduct (niyama) to avoid situations that intensify moha. If following Purana-based Shaiva practice, pairing japa with bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and devotion reinforces inner detachment.