Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 21

कुमाराभिषेकवर्णनम् — Description of Kumāra’s Abhiṣeka

Consecration/Installation

Devanagari script

ये तं समीक्षयामासुर्गागेयं शंकरोपमम् । ददृशुस्ते महत्तेजो व्याप्तमासीज्जगत्त्रये

Transliteration

ye taṃ samīkṣayāmāsurgāgeyaṃ śaṃkaropamam | dadṛśuste mahattejo vyāptamāsījjagattraye

Translation

അവർ ശങ്കരനോടു സാമ്യമുള്ള ഗംഗാപുത്രനെ ദർശിച്ചപ്പോൾ, ത്രിലോകമാകെ വ്യാപിച്ചിരുന്ന മഹാദിവ്യ തേജസ്സിനെ അവർ കണ്ടു।

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun referring to apsarases/observers

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; refers to the boy/Skanda

• समीक्षयामासुः: looked at / observed
• समीक्षयामासुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-परस्मैपद; आम्-प्रत्यय with auxiliary), 3rd person, Plural

• गागेयम्: Gāgeya (a name/epithet)
• गागेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गागेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; patronymic/epithet (of Gaṅgā/Agni lineage per context)

• शंकरोपमम्: like Śaṅkara
• शंकरोपमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तृतीया/उपमान: ‘शंकर-सदृशम्’); Masculine, Accusative, Singular; qualifies ‘गागेयम्/तम्’

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Plural; parasmaipada

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Nominative, Plural; ‘they’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; agrees with ‘तेजः’

• तेजः: splendor
• तेजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• व्याप्तम्: pervading / spread out
• व्याप्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + आप् (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta PPP (क्त) from √आप्/√व्याप् ‘to pervade’; Neuter, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective of ‘तेजः’

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada

• जगत्-त्रये: in the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu compound (numeral determinative: ‘त्रीणि जगन्ति’); Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; locus of pervasion

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kartikeya
• Ganga

FAQs

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

It proclaims the Shiva-tattva reflected in Skanda: the Lord’s grace manifests as world-pervading tejas, reminding devotees that divine consciousness can appear in a personal (saguṇa) form while remaining all-pervasive.

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

The all-pervading radiance points to the Linga’s symbolism (Shiva as limitless light), while “Shankara-like” describes a saguṇa manifestation that devotees can contemplate—linking form-based devotion to the formless, boundless reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva’s tejas as a column of light in the heart while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”); optionally apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of Shiva’s all-pervading purity.