Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18

गणेशाभिषेक-वरदान-विधानम् | Gaṇeśa’s Consecration, Boons, and Prescribed Worship

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे द्वितीयायां रुद्रसंहितायां चतुर्थे कुमारखंडे गणेशगणाधिपपदवीवर्णनं नामाष्टादशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe dvitīyāyāṃ rudrasaṃhitāyāṃ caturthe kumārakhaṃḍe gaṇeśagaṇādhipapadavīvarṇanaṃ nāmāṣṭādaśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ശ്രീശിവമഹാപുരാണത്തിലെ ദ്വിതീയ റുദ്രസംഹിതയിലെ ചതുര്ഥ കുമാരഖണ്ഡത്തിൽ ‘ഗണേശന്റെ ഗണാധിപ പദവിവർണ്ണനം’ എന്ന അഷ്ടാദശ അധ്യായം സമാപ്തമായി.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative/end marker)

• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• śrī-śiva-mahā-purāṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (honorific+name+epithet)

• dvitīyāyām: in the second
• dvitīyāyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• rudra-saṃhitāyām: in the Rudra-saṃhitā
• rudra-saṃhitāyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Rudra’s compendium)

• caturthe: in the fourth
• caturthe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• kumāra-khaṇḍe: in the Kumāra-khaṇḍa
• kumāra-khaṇḍe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक) + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (section of Kumāra)

• gaṇeśa-gaṇa-adhipa-padavī-varṇanam: (the section) ‘Description of Gaṇeśa’s rank as lord of the gaṇas’
• gaṇeśa-gaṇa-adhipa-padavī-varṇanam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक) + padavī (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (विषय-निर्देशः: description of the status of Gaṇeśa as lord of the gaṇas)

• nāma: named
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (naming particle: called)

• aṣṭādaśaḥ: eighteenth
• aṣṭādaśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numeral compound: eighteen)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrative colophon within Sūta’s discourse to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganesha

FAQs

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

This is a colophon marking the completion of a chapter that establishes Gaṇeśa’s divinely ordained office as Gaṇādhipa, highlighting Shaiva order: all auspicious rites connected to Shiva’s worship proceed smoothly when the Lord’s attendants and their chief are honored in due place.

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

By concluding a chapter about Gaṇeśa’s status in Rudra Saṃhitā, it reinforces the practice that Saguna Shiva worship (including Liṅga-pūjā) is traditionally begun with reverence to Gaṇeśa, the appointed leader of the Gaṇas, as part of Shiva’s sacred retinue.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

As a practical takeaway, begin Shiva worship with Gaṇeśa-vandana (invocation), then proceed to Shiva practices such as japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and, where appropriate, Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa observances in a Shaiva manner.