Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 27

शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”

Devanagari script

श्रीमहेश उवाच । प्रलयस्थितिसर्गाणां कर्ताहं सगुणोऽगुणः । परब्रह्म निर्विकारी सच्चिदानंदलक्षणः

Transliteration

śrīmaheśa uvāca | pralayasthitisargāṇāṃ kartāhaṃ saguṇo'guṇaḥ | parabrahma nirvikārī saccidānaṃdalakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

ശ്രീ മഹേശൻ പറഞ്ഞു: പ്രളയം, സ്ഥിതി, സൃഷ്ടി—ഇവയുടെ കർത്താവ് ഞാനേ; സഗുണനും നിർഗുണനും ഞാനേ. ഞാൻ പരബ്രഹ്മം, നിർവികാരി; എന്റെ സ്വഭാവം സത്-ചിത്-ആനന്ദം.

Word by Word

• श्रीमहेशः: Śrī Maheśa
• श्रीमहेशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + महा + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः (honorific + great + lord)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रलयस्थितिसर्गाणाम्: of dissolution, maintenance, and creation
• प्रलयस्थितिसर्गाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय + स्थिति + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (collective), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): प्रलयश्च स्थितिश्च सर्गश्च

• कर्ता: doer/creator
• कर्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सगुणः: with qualities
• सगुणः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-रहित उपसर्ग-समास (with): गुणैः सह (possessing qualities)

• अगुणः: without qualities
• अगुणः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (negative): गुणाभावः

• परब्रह्म: the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्म: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: परं ब्रह्म

• निर्विकारी: unchanging
• निर्विकारी: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + विकारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग-तत्पुरुष: विकाररहितः (unchanging)

• सच्चिदानन्दलक्षणः: whose nature is being-consciousness-bliss
• सच्चिदानन्दलक्षणः: Pradhana-predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + चित् + आनन्द + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: सच्चिदानन्दं लक्षणं यस्य (having the mark of sat-cit-ānanda)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Śrī Maheśa)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: pralayasthitisargāṇāṃ kartāhaṃ saguṇo'guṇaḥ | parabrahma nirvikārī saccidānaṃdalakṣaṇaḥ

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Cosmic governance declaration: Śiva as agent of sarga-sthiti-pralaya while remaining nirvikārī (unchanged)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse declares Shiva as the Supreme Reality who both governs cosmic functions (creation, preservation, dissolution) and transcends all limiting qualities—revealing him as Parabrahman, changeless sat–cit–ānanda, the ground of liberation.

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

By affirming Shiva as both saguṇa and nirguṇa, it supports Linga worship as a sacred focus for the manifest Lord while pointing the devotee toward realizing the same Shiva as the attributeless Absolute beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as sat–cit–ānanda while chanting the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using the saguṇa form (Linga) for steady devotion and contemplation leading toward nirguṇa realization.