Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 15

अलकापतेः तपः-लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा च वरप्राप्तिः / The Lord of Alakā: Austerity, Liṅga-Establishment, and the Receiving of a Boon

Devanagari script

इति तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा देवदेव उमापतिः । ददौ दर्शनसामर्थ्यं स्पृष्ट्वा पाणितलेन तम्

Transliteration

iti tadvacanaṃ śrutvā devadeva umāpatiḥ | dadau darśanasāmarthyaṃ spṛṣṭvā pāṇitalena tam

Translation

ആ വചനങ്ങൾ കേട്ട ദേവദേവൻ ഉമാപതി (ശിവൻ) തന്റെ കരതളത്തോടെ അവനെ സ്പർശിച്ച് ദിവ്യദർശനസാമർത്ഥ്യം അനുഗ്രഹിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (iti)

• tat-vacanam: that statement
• tat-vacanam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (प्रातिपदिक) + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa) ‘tasya vacanam’

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + tvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (gerund, ktvā); pūrva-kāla-kriyā ‘having heard’

• deva-deva: O God of gods / God of gods
• deva-deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana/Prathamā (vocative/nominative form used as epithet), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘devānāṃ devaḥ’ (king of gods)

• umā-patiḥ: Umā’s lord (Śiva)
• umā-patiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa) ‘umāyāḥ patiḥ’

• dadau: gave
• dadau: Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (imperfect/past), Parasmaipada, Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana

• darśana-sāmarthyam: power/ability of seeing (vision)
• darśana-sāmarthyam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक) + sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘darśanasya sāmarthyam’

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched
• spṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: spṛś (धातु) + tvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (gerund, ktvā); ‘having touched’

• pāṇi-talena: with the palm (of his hand)
• pāṇi-talena: Karaṇa (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘pāṇeḥ talam’ (palm of the hand)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun), Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s anugraha (liberating grace): true perception of the Divine is not merely sensory, but a bestowed capacity—inner purification and divine empowerment to behold Reality.

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

Darśana here aligns with Saguna worship: through devotion to Śiva (including Liṅga-upāsanā), the Lord grants the devotee fitness to perceive Him—externally in worship and internally as awakened spiritual insight.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate receptivity to grace through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), steady dhyāna on Śiva’s form or the Liṅga, and purity-practices like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as supportive aids.