Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 50

पार्वत्याः यात्रासंस्कारः तथा पातिव्रत्योपदेशः / Preparations for Girijā’s Auspicious Journey and the Teaching on Pātivratya

Devanagari script

मितन्ददाति जनको मितं भ्राता मितं सुतः । अमितस्य हि दातारं भर्तारम्पूजयेत्सदा

Transliteration

mitandadāti janako mitaṃ bhrātā mitaṃ sutaḥ | amitasya hi dātāraṃ bhartārampūjayetsadā

Translation

പിതാവ് പരിമിതമായി തന്നേ നൽകുന്നു; സഹോദരനും പരിമിതമായി; പുത്രനും പരിമിതമായി. അതിനാൽ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ അതിരില്ലാത്ത ദാതാവും സ്ഥിരപോഷകനുമായ ഭർത്താവിനെ സദാ പൂജിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• mitam: a limited (amount)
• mitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mita (प्रातिपदिक; √mā ‘to measure’ से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• dadāti: gives
• dadāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• janakaḥ: the father
• janakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• mitam: a limited (amount)
• mitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अध्याहृतं ‘ददाति’)

• bhrātā: the brother
• bhrātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mitam: a limited (amount)
• mitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अध्याहृतं ‘ददाति’)

• sutaḥ: the son
• sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• amitasya: of the unlimited
• amitasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘अमित’ = unlimited/of the immeasurable

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/हेतौ

• dātāram: the giver
• dātāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhartāram: the husband/supporter
• bhartāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pūjayet: should worship/honor
• pūjayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; (आज्ञार्थे/विधानार्थे)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Lord Śiva (instructing within the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa discourse as narrated to the sages through Sūta)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames the husband as ‘bountiful sustainer’ within strī-dharma; in Śaiva Siddhānta terms, it allegorically mirrors Pati as the true ‘amita-dātṛ’ whose grace alone is unlimited.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches gratitude and dharma: worldly support from relatives is often limited, so one should honor the principal sustainer in one’s life; in Shaiva understanding, such right conduct becomes a support for steadiness of mind and devotion, which ultimately aids liberation.

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

By training the heart in reverence toward the visible sustainer (a dharmic relationship), one becomes fit for bhakti; that same reverence is then offered in higher form to Saguna Śiva—worshiping the Liṅga as the supreme Pati (Lord) and sustainer of all beings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice daily honoring (pūjā-bhāva) with humility and gratitude, and extend it to Śiva-pūjā—especially japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with a disciplined, dharmic household life.