Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 22

विष्णु-ब्रह्म-विवाद-वर्णनम्

Description of the Viṣṇu–Brahmā Dispute and Brahmā’s Confusion

Devanagari script

मायया मोहितश्शम्भोस्तदा लीलात्मनः प्रभोः । अविज्ञाय स्वजनकं तमवोचं प्रहर्षितः

Transliteration

māyayā mohitaśśambhostadā līlātmanaḥ prabhoḥ | avijñāya svajanakaṃ tamavocaṃ praharṣitaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ശംഭുവിന്റെ മായയിൽ മോഹിതനായ ഞാൻ, ലീലാസ്വരൂപനായ പ്രഭുവിനെ എന്റെ ജനകനെന്നു തിരിച്ചറിയാതെ, പരമാനന്ദത്തോടെ അവനോടു സംസാരിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• मायया: by/through illusion (māyā)
• मायया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मोहितः: deluded
• मोहितः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle) — 'deluded'

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• लीलात्मनः: of the one whose nature is play (sportive-natured)
• लीलात्मनः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लीलायाः आत्मा/स्वभावः इति)

• प्रभोः: of the Lord
• प्रभोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अविज्ञाय: not knowing / without recognizing
• अविज्ञाय: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → अविज्ञाय (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वा-अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund) — पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having not recognized/without knowing)

• स्वजनकम्: his own father/progenitor
• स्वजनकम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + जनक (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्य जनकः)

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अवोचम्: I said / I spoke
• अवोचम्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → अवोचम्
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रहर्षितः: delighted
• प्रहर्षितः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + हृष् (धातु) → प्रहर्षित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) — 'delighted'

Speaker

Brahma (narrated within the Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa creation account; framed by Suta Goswami’s narration)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Tirodhāna in action: Brahmā’s non-recognition of his source due to Śambhu’s māyā during cosmogonic unfolding

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Māyā (bondage/veil) operates under Śiva’s lordship (Pati), and even exalted beings like Brahmā can fail to recognize the Supreme; liberation arises when the veil is removed by Śiva’s grace and right knowledge.

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

By calling Śiva “līlātmaka” (whose nature is divine play), the verse supports Saguna worship: the Lord appears in accessible forms and acts within creation; Linga-worship trains the devotee to recognize the Supreme beyond Māyā, even when He is present in a simple, symbolic form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A key takeaway is to counter Māyā through steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with devotion and humility, supported by Śiva-pūjā (including bhasma/Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa where traditional) to cultivate recognition of Śiva as the inner Lord.