Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 9

शिवरूपदर्शनम्

Menā’s Vision of Śiva’s Divine Form

Devanagari script

कोटिसूर्यप्रतीकाशं सर्वावयवसुन्दरम् । विचित्रवसनं चात्र नानाभूषणभूषितम्

Transliteration

koṭisūryapratīkāśaṃ sarvāvayavasundaram | vicitravasanaṃ cātra nānābhūṣaṇabhūṣitam

Translation

御身は億の太陽にも似た光輝を放ち、四肢のすべてが麗しかった。そこにて不思議なる衣をまとい、さまざまな宝飾をもって荘厳されていた。

Word by Word

• koṭi-sūrya-pratīkāśam: having the radiance of ten million suns
• koṭi-sūrya-pratīkāśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + sūrya (प्रातिपदिक) + pratīkāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Vibhakti), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कोटिसूर्याणां प्रतीकाशः)

• sarva-avayava-sundaram: beautiful in all limbs
• sarva-avayava-sundaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक) + sundara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् अवयवानां सुन्दरम्)

• vicitra-vasanam: wearing/possessing wondrous garments
• vicitra-vasanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra (प्रातिपदिक) + vasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विचित्रं वसनं यस्य/यत्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• nānā-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitam: adorned with various ornaments
• nānā-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोग) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त; √bhūṣ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नानाभूषणैः भूषितम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse emphasizes Shiva’s overwhelming divine tejas (radiance) and perfect auspicious form, guiding the devotee toward bhakti through darshan—contemplating the Lord as Pati whose beauty and light dissolve inner darkness and lead the pashu (bound soul) toward liberation.

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

It supports Saguna-upasana by describing Shiva’s manifest, auspicious form with splendor and ornaments—an aid for devotion and meditation. In Shaiva practice, the same Shiva is also worshipped as the Linga: the formless reality (Nirguna) approached through a sacred symbol, while the mind is steadied by such vivid form-descriptions.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dhyana (visual meditation) on Shiva’s radiant form while repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”; for ritual worship, one may perform simple Shiva-puja with vibhuti (Tripundra) and Rudraksha as supports for purity, focus, and devotion.