Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 36

शङ्खचूडकृततपः—ब्रह्मवरकवचप्राप्तिः / Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Austerity—Brahmā’s Boon and the Bestowal of the Kavaca

Devanagari script

निर्विरोधं सुखं राजन् को वा त्यजति दुर्लभम् । योऽविरोधसुखत्यागी स पशुर्नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

nirvirodhaṃ sukhaṃ rājan ko vā tyajati durlabham | yo'virodhasukhatyāgī sa paśurnātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ, വിരോധരഹിതമായ ആ ദുർലഭസുഖം ആരാണ് ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുക? അത്തരം അവിരോധസുഖം ത്യജിക്കുന്നവൻ തീർച്ചയായും ‘പശു’ ആകുന്നു; സംശയമില്ല।

Word by Word

• nirvirodham: non-conflicting, without opposition
• nirvirodham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirvirodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; उपसर्ग-पूर्वकः (nir- + virodha) विशेषणम्

• sukham: happiness, comfort
• sukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive/alternative particle: 'or/indeed')

• tyajati: abandons, gives up
• tyajati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• durlabham: rare, hard to obtain
• durlabham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durlabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; दुर्गम/दुर्लभ इति उपसर्ग-पूर्वक-विशेषणम् (dur- + labha)

• yaḥ: he who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• avirodha-sukha-tyāgī: one who gives up peaceful happiness
• avirodha-sukha-tyāgī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avirodha (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + tyāgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अविरोधस्य सुखस्य त्यागी = one who gives up the happiness of non-opposition)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक-सर्वनाम

• paśuḥ: a beast, brute
• paśuḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: 'here')

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate (विशेष्य-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages, with the verse framed as counsel addressed to a king)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

FAQs

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

It contrasts the peace of harmony (nirvirodha-sukha) with the restlessness of bondage; in Shaiva Siddhanta, rejecting calm, dharmic well-being signals the paśu-state—life driven by impulse rather than clarity oriented to Shiva (Pati).

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

Linga worship and devotion to Saguna Shiva cultivate inner steadiness, purity, and non-conflict; the verse implies that turning away from such stabilizing, sattvic happiness is a mark of continued bondage (paśutva).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Choose practices that increase inner harmony—daily japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and calm, disciplined worship—so the mind abides in non-conflict rather than abandoning peace for agitation.