Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 44
शिवतत्त्ववर्णनम् (Śiva-tattva-varṇana) — “Description/Exposition of the Principle of Śiva”
एतस्मात्कारणाद्ब्रह्मन्करणीयमिदं त्वया । सृष्टिकर्ता भव ब्रह्मन्सृष्टेश्च पालको हरिः
etasmātkāraṇādbrahmankaraṇīyamidaṃ tvayā | sṛṣṭikartā bhava brahmansṛṣṭeśca pālako hariḥ
അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ബ്രഹ്മൻ! ഇതാണ് നീ ചെയ്യേണ്ടത്—നീ ലോകത്തിന്റെ സൃഷ്ടികർത്താവാകുക; സൃഷ്ടിയെ പാലിച്ചു ധരിക്കുന്നവൻ ഹരി (വിഷ്ണു) ആകട്ടെ.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Cosmic Event: cosmic administration of functions within sṛṣṭi (emanational ordering of Brahmā/Viṣṇu roles)
FAQs
It establishes Shiva as the supreme regulator (Pati) who assigns cosmic duties—creation to Brahmā and preservation to Viṣṇu—showing that all functions operate under Shiva’s higher will in a Shaiva Siddhanta framework.
By portraying Shiva as the source of cosmic order who empowers other deities, the verse supports Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga worship—as devotion to the supreme Lord beyond yet governing all manifested roles.
The takeaway is meditating on Shiva as the inner ruler of all cosmic functions; practically, devotees may reinforce this through japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” while contemplating Shiva as the source of creation, preservation, and liberation.