Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 2

युद्धप्रारम्भवर्णनम् — Description of the Commencement of Battle

Devanagari script

वल्गंतः कुर्वतो नादं भाविताश्शिवतेजसा । कुमारन्ते पुरस्कृत्य तारकं हंतुमाययुः

Transliteration

valgaṃtaḥ kurvato nādaṃ bhāvitāśśivatejasā | kumārante puraskṛtya tārakaṃ haṃtumāyayuḥ

Translation

ചാടിച്ചാടിയും ഘോഷനാദം മുഴക്കിയും, ശിവതേജസ്സാൽ ഭാവിതരായി അവർ കുമാരനെ മുൻപിൽ നിർത്തി താരകനെ വധിക്കുവാൻ പുറപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• वल्गन्तः: leaping about
• वल्गन्तः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वल्ग् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/शतृप्रत्ययः), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्; Present active participle (śatṛ), nominative plural masculine

• कुर्वतः: of (them) making
• कुर्वतः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्; Present active participle, genitive plural masculine

• नादम्: sound, roar
• नादम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, accusative singular

• भाविताः: imbued, empowered
• भाविताः: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भू (धातु) + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्; Past passive participle, nominative plural masculine

• शिवतेजसा: by Śiva’s radiance
• शिवतेजसा: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिवस्य तेजः); नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Neuter, instrumental singular

• कुमारम्: Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमारम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, accusative singular

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्, पुंलिङ्गम्; Pronoun, nominative plural masculine

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front; leading
• पुरस्कृत्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस्-कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययम्; Gerund (ktvā)

• तारकम्: Tāraka
• तारकम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, accusative singular

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• हन्तुम्: प्रयोजन (Prayojana/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभावः; Infinitive (tumun)

• आययुः: they went/advanced
• आययुः: क्रिया (Kriyā/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्; Perfect, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Shakti Dimension

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kartikeya
• Taraka

FAQs

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

It shows that righteous victory is not merely martial strength but Śiva’s tejas (grace-power) working through a chosen instrument—Kumāra—so dharma prevails over adharma.

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

Śiva’s tejas here is Saguna Śiva’s manifest, protective potency—like the Linga as a tangible focus of divine power—by which devotees and devas are strengthened to overcome inner and outer darkness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva’s tejas while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder that Śiva’s grace empowers self-mastery and the conquest of obstacles.