Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 5

देवाः वैकुण्ठगमनम् तथा विष्णोः अवतारस्तुतिः | Devas Go to Vaikuṇṭha and Praise Viṣṇu’s Avatāras

Devanagari script

कुर्वाणानां सुराणां च मथनायोद्यमं भृशम् । बिभ्रते मंदरगिरिं कूर्मरूपाय ते नमः

Transliteration

kurvāṇānāṃ surāṇāṃ ca mathanāyodyamaṃ bhṛśam | bibhrate maṃdaragiriṃ kūrmarūpāya te namaḥ

Translation

ദേവന്മാർ സമുദ്രമഥനത്തിനായി അത്യന്തം പരിശ്രമിക്കുമ്പോൾ മന്ദരഗിരിയെ താങ്ങിയ കൂർമരൂപധാരിയേ, നമഃ.

Word by Word

• कुर्वाणानाम्: of those who were doing
• कुर्वाणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘कुर्वाण’ = doing

• सुराणाम्: of the gods
• सुराणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मथनाय: for churning
• मथनाय: सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Purpose-Dative/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी

• उद्यमम्: effort
• उद्यमम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• भृशम्: greatly
• भृशम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• बिभ्रते: (who) bears
• बिभ्रते: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: भृ ‘to bear’

• मन्दर-गिरिम्: Mount Mandara
• मन्दर-गिरिम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी) ‘मन्दरः गिरिः’ (नामधेय)

• कूर्म-रूपाय: to (you) in the form of a tortoise
• कूर्म-रूपाय: सम्प्रदान (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी) ‘कूर्मस्य रूपम्’

• ते: of you / your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: उद्गार (Exclamation/उद्गार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (salutation particle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: samudra-manthana (churning of the ocean)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas
• Mandara
• Kurma

FAQs

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

It teaches that even the mightiest efforts of the gods succeed only when supported by divine grace; the Lord becomes the unseen foundation that steadies spiritual striving and worldly endeavor alike.

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

Though it praises the Kurma form, the devotional intent aligns with Saguna worship: devotees honor the Lord’s compassionate, accessible manifestations—similarly, the Linga is revered as the stable support and presence of Shiva that upholds the seeker’s path.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice gratitude-based japa—especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—while meditating on the Lord as the inner support (ādhāra) beneath one’s discipline; optionally apply Tripuṇḍra bhasma as a reminder of dependence on Shiva’s grace.