Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 21

दिव्यरथारोहणम् — Śiva’s Ascent on the Divine Chariot

Pre-battle Portents

Devanagari script

तस्मात्परमिदं दिव्यं चरिष्यथ सुरोत्तमाः । पशुत्वान्मोक्ष्यथ तदा यूयमत्र न संशयः

Transliteration

tasmātparamidaṃ divyaṃ cariṣyatha surottamāḥ | paśutvānmokṣyatha tadā yūyamatra na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ദേവോത്തമന്മാരേ, ഇനി മുതൽ നിങ്ങൾ ഈ ദിവ്യ ആചാര-വ്രതം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുവിൻ; അപ്പോൾ നിങ്ങൾ പശുത്വം (ബന്ധിതജീവസ്ഥിതി) നിന്നു വിമുക്തരാകും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• param: further/next
• param: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial usage (क्रियाविशेषणवत्), ‘further/next’

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with idam (elliptical ‘vratam’)

• cariṣyatha: you will practice
• cariṣyatha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्) Future, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sura-uttamāḥ: O best of the gods
• sura-uttamāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: surāṇām uttamāḥ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); vocative sense by context

• paśutvāt: from animality/bondage
• paśutvāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśutva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• mokṣyatha: you will be liberated
• mokṣyatha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्) Future, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of time (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• yūyam: you
• yūyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (युष्मद्), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• atra: here/in this matter
• atra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• na: no/not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Lord Śiva (instructor of the devas in the Yuddhakhaṇḍa narrative)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Devas

FAQs

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

It declares Śiva’s assurance that adopting the divinely ordained Śaiva path leads to release from paśutva—bondage and limited individuality—toward mokṣa, aligning with the Shaiva Siddhanta frame of Pati (Śiva) granting liberation to the paśu.

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

The “divine course” is concretely lived through Saguna Śiva-upāsanā—reverence to Śiva as accessible Lord, commonly expressed through Liṅga worship, mantra, and disciplined conduct—by which the bound soul becomes fit for Śiva’s grace and freedom from bondage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to sustained Śaiva sādhana: living dharmically while practising Śiva-bhakti through japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with traditional observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as supports for remembrance and purity.