Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 24

काम्यकर्मविभागः — Taxonomy of Kāmya (Desire-Motivated) Śaiva Rites

Devanagari script

भ्रुकुटीकुटिलं घोरं रक्तवृत्तेक्षणत्रयम् । दंष्ट्राकरालं दुर्धर्षं स्फुरिताधरपल्लवम्

Transliteration

bhrukuṭīkuṭilaṃ ghoraṃ raktavṛttekṣaṇatrayam | daṃṣṭrākarālaṃ durdharṣaṃ sphuritādharapallavam

Translation

見るも恐ろしき相であった。眉は険しく結ばれ、血のごとく赤い円き三眼を具え、牙はむき出しで凄まじく、無敵にして近づき難い——その唇は若芽のように震え、湧き上がる力に脈打っていた。

Word by Word

• bhrukuṭī: frown, knitted brow
• bhrukuṭī: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrukuṭī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound member; ‘frown/knitted brow’

• kuṭilam: crooked, contorted
• kuṭilam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kuṭila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; attribute

• bhrukuṭī-kuṭilam: with a contorted frown
• bhrukuṭī-kuṭilam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhrukuṭī + kuṭila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘contorted with a frown’

• ghoram: terrible, fierce
• ghoram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• rakta: red
• rakta: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक/क्त from rañj)
• Form: Compound member; ‘red’

• vṛtta: round
• vṛtta: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक/क्त from vṛt)
• Form: Compound member; ‘round’

• īkṣaṇa: eye
• īkṣaṇa: Viśeṣya-aṅga (विशेष्य-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound member; ‘eye, seeing’

• trayam: three (a triad)
• trayam: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; ‘a triad/three’

• rakta-vṛtta-īkṣaṇa-trayam: having three round red eyes
• rakta-vṛtta-īkṣaṇa-trayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta + vṛtta + īkṣaṇa + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘a triad of eyes (īkṣaṇa-traya) that are round and red’

• daṃṣṭrā: fang
• daṃṣṭrā: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound member; ‘fang’

• karālam: gaping, formidable
• karālam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• daṃṣṭrā-karālam: fearsome with fangs
• daṃṣṭrā-karālam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṃṣṭrā + karāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘formidable with fangs’

• durdharṣam: invincible, hard to attack
• durdharṣam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-dharṣa (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + धर्ष)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; upasarga-compound: ‘hard to overpower/assail’

• sphurita: quivering
• sphurita: Viśeṣaṇa-aṅga (विशेषण-अङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphur (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta PPP (क्त), compound member; ‘trembling/quivering’

• adhara: lower lip
• adhara: Viśeṣya-aṅga (विशेष्य-अङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound member; ‘lower lip’

• pallavam: sprout, tender shoot
• pallavam: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pallava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; ‘sprout/tender shoot’ used metaphorically

• sphurita-adhara-pallavam: with quivering lower lip
• sphurita-adhara-pallavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphurita + adhara + pallava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘having the lower-lip-sprout (adhara-pallava) quivering’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It portrays Shiva’s fierce saguna aspect (Rudra) whose terrifying form dissolves ignorance and ego; fear arises for the bound soul (paśu), but for the devotee it signifies the Lord’s power to cut the bonds (pāśa) and protect the path to liberation.

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

The verse emphasizes saguna contemplation—Shiva with attributes such as the three eyes—guiding devotees from form-based devotion toward the Linga as the stable focus where the same supreme Pati is worshiped beyond fear and duality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva’s trinetra (three-eyed) form while repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and adopt Shaiva markers like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrāksha as reminders of detachment and the Lord’s protective, purifying power.