Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 46

अन्धक-प्रश्नः — Inquiry into Andhaka

Genealogy and Nature

Devanagari script

हिरण्यनेत्रस्य शिरो ज्वलंतं चिच्छेद दैत्यांश्च ददाह दुष्टान् । ततः प्रहृष्टो दितिजेन्द्रराजं स्वमंधकं तत्र स चाभ्यषिंचत्

Transliteration

hiraṇyanetrasya śiro jvalaṃtaṃ ciccheda daityāṃśca dadāha duṣṭān | tataḥ prahṛṣṭo ditijendrarājaṃ svamaṃdhakaṃ tatra sa cābhyaṣiṃcat

Translation

അവൻ ഹിരണ്യനേത്രന്റെ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന ശിരസ് ഛേദിച്ചു; ദുഷ്ട ദൈത്യരെ ദഹിപ്പിച്ചു. പിന്നെ ഹർഷത്തോടെ അവിടെ തന്നെ തന്റെ അന്ധകനെ ദൈത്യരാജാവായി അഭിഷേകം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• हिरण्य-नेत्रस्य: of Hiraṇyanetra
• हिरण्य-नेत्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (नाम: ‘हिरण्यं नेत्रं यस्य’)

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (form identical to nominative)

• ज्वलन्तम्: blazing
• ज्वलन्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वल् (धातु) → ज्वलन्त् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘शिरः’)

• चिच्छेद: cut off
• चिच्छेद: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दैत्यान्: demons
• दैत्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ददाह: burned
• ददाह: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दुष्टान्: wicked
• दुष्टान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of ‘दैत्यान्’)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘then/thereupon’)

• प्रहृष्टः: delighted
• प्रहृष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रहृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied subject ‘सः’)

• दितिज-इन्द्र-राजम्: the king of the Daityas
• दितिज-इन्द्र-राजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दितिज (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘दितिजानाम् इन्द्रः राजा’ = king/lord of the Diti-born)

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘अन्धकम्’)

• अन्धकम्: Andhaka
• अन्धकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अभ्यषिञ्चत्: anointed, consecrated
• अभ्यषिञ्चत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-षिच् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka

Shakti Dimension

Role: destructive

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: political-cosmic reordering: installation of a new daitya-king to stabilize the netherworld

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyanetra
• Daityas
• Andhaka

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the purifying destruction of adharmic forces: the “burning” of the wicked signifies the removal of pāśa (bondage) that opposes divine order, preparing the ground for a new governance cycle—even among asuras—under cosmic law.

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

Though the verse is martial in tone, it reflects Saguna Shiva’s governance of the universe: the Lord (as the supreme Pati) restrains destructive tendencies and restores balance, which devotees contemplate in Linga worship as Shiva’s steady, regulating presence beyond fear and chaos.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

As a takeaway, devotees can meditate on Shiva as the inner fire that burns impurity while chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and applying Tripuṇḍra-bhasma as a reminder of impermanence and purification.