Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 34

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

आकाशवाण्युवाच । अहमेव त्रिधा भिन्ना तिष्ठामि त्रिविधैर्गुणैः । गौरी लक्ष्मीः सुरा ज्योती रजस्सत्त्वतमोगुणैः

Transliteration

ākāśavāṇyuvāca | ahameva tridhā bhinnā tiṣṭhāmi trividhairguṇaiḥ | gaurī lakṣmīḥ surā jyotī rajassattvatamoguṇaiḥ

Translation

ആകാശവാണി പറഞ്ഞു—ഞാനേ ത്രിഗുണങ്ങളാൽ ത്രിവിധമായി ഭിന്നമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു. രജസ്സാൽ ഞാൻ ഗൗരി; സത്ത്വാൽ ഞാൻ ലക്ഷ്മി—ശുഭജ്യോതിരൂപിണി; തമസ്സാൽ ഞാൻ സുരാ (മോഹശക്തി)—ഇങ്ങനെ ത്രിഗുണങ്ങളിൽ ഞാൻ സ്ഥിതമാണ്.

Word by Word

• आकाश-वाणी: the heavenly voice
• आकाश-वाणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश + वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘आकाशात् वाणी’ (a voice from the sky)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• त्रिधा: threefold
• त्रिधा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in three ways)

• भिन्ना: divided
• भिन्ना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तिष्ठामि: I stand/abide
• तिष्ठामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्रिविधैः: by three kinds of
• त्रिविधैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गुणैः: qualities (guṇas)
• गुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• गौरी: Gaurī
• गौरी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakṣmī
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुरा: Surā (goddess/personification)
• सुरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्योती: Light (Jyoti)
• ज्योती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वैदिक/पुराणिक रूप ‘ज्योती’ (for ज्योतिः)

• रजः-सत्त्व-तमः-गुणैः: with the guṇas—rajas, sattva, and tamas
• रजः-सत्त्व-तमः-गुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् + सत्त्व + तमस् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समाहार/निर्देश-समास (enumerative compound) meaning ‘with the guṇas consisting of rajas, sattva, tamas’

Speaker

Ākāśavāṇī (celestial voice / divine proclamation)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga; a doctrinal proclamation: one divine power manifests triadically through the guṇas, naming forms (Gaurī/Lakṣmī/Surā) as functional modalities of prakṛti/māyā.

Significance: Encourages discernment (viveka): recognize guṇa-driven appearances as māyā’s play; seek the transcendent Lord beyond guṇas through devotion and grace.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Gaurī
• Lakṣmī

FAQs

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

It teaches that the one divine power (Śakti) manifests the cosmos through the three guṇas—rajas, sattva, and tamas—yet remains fundamentally one; liberation comes by recognizing and transcending guṇa-bound experience through Shiva’s grace.

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

Linga-worship centers the mind on Shiva as the Lord beyond the guṇas (nirguṇa) while honoring His manifest power (saguṇa) as Śakti; the verse explains how the same divine potency appears in different modes, which devotion to the Linga helps purify and surpass.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate sattva through Shiva-pūjā—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), wearing rudrākṣa, and applying tripuṇḍra bhasma—so the mind rises beyond tamas and rajas toward steady devotion and inner clarity.