Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 47

नारदमोहवर्णनम् — Description of Nārada’s Delusion

Devanagari script

वानरास्यं विष्णुतनुं मुनिं दृष्ट्वा चुकोप सा । दृष्टिं निवार्य च ततः प्रस्थिता प्रीतमानसा

Transliteration

vānarāsyaṃ viṣṇutanuṃ muniṃ dṛṣṭvā cukopa sā | dṛṣṭiṃ nivārya ca tataḥ prasthitā prītamānasā

Translation

വാനരമുഖവും വിഷ്ണുസദൃശമായ ദേഹവും ധരിച്ച മുനിയെ കണ്ടപ്പോൾ അവൾ ക്രുദ്ധയായി; പിന്നെ ദൃഷ്ടി നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് അവിടെ നിന്ന് ശാന്തമനസ്സോടെ പുറപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• vānarāsyam: monkey-faced
• vānarāsyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक) + āsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘वानरम् आस्यम् यस्य’ (face like a monkey) used adjectivally; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; qualifies ‘munim’

• viṣṇu-tanum: having the form of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-tanum: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘विष्णोः तनुः’ (body/form of Viṣṇu) used adjectivally; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (tanu is feminine), द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies ‘munim’

• munim: the sage
• munim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘दृष्ट्वा’ = ‘having seen’

• cukopa: became angry
• cukopa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kup (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; reduplicated perfect ‘चुकोप’ = ‘became angry’

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• dṛṣṭim: (her) gaze/vision
• dṛṣṭim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• nivārya: having restrained
• nivārya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-vṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: णिच् causative + क्त्वा-लोप (gerund) ‘निवार्य’ = ‘having restrained/checked’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, temporal adverb

• prasthitā: departed/set out
• prasthitā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (PPP) ‘प्रस्थित’ = ‘set out/departed’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with ‘sā’

• prīta-mānasā: with a pleased mind
• prīta-mānasā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prīta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘प्रीतम् मानसम् यस्याः’ (one whose mind is pleased); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; qualifies ‘sā’

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya within the Rudra Saṃhitā creation account)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

The verse highlights indriya-nigraha (restraint of the senses): even when anger arises on seeing an unsettling form, withdrawing the gaze and regaining inner steadiness is presented as a mark of spiritual discipline aligned with Shaiva conduct.

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta, outer forms can provoke reactions, but devotion to Saguna Shiva (and Linga-worship) trains the devotee to turn attention inward—away from reactive perception—toward Shiva as the stabilizing Lord (Pati) who frees the bound soul (paśu) from passions (pāśa).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dṛṣṭi-saṃyama (gaze-restraint) and krodha-śānti (pacifying anger), supported by japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” to re-center the mind when agitation arises.