Shloka 78

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

प्रकुदः ककुदन्तश् च कम्पनश् च प्रकम्पनः इन्द्रश् चेन्द्रजयश्चैव महाभीर् भीमकस् तथा

Transliteration

prakudaḥ kakudantaś ca kampanaś ca prakampanaḥ indraś cendrajayaścaiva mahābhīr bhīmakas tathā

Translation

तो प्रकुद, ककुदंत; कंपन आणि प्रकंपन—जगताला कंपविणारा। तो इंद्र, आणि इंद्रजय—इंद्रालाही जिंकणारा; तो महाभीर—अतिभयंकर, आणि भीमक—भयप्रद प्रभु आहे।

Word by Word

• प्रकुदः (prakudaḥ): a particular epithet of Shiva, suggesting a powerful, impelling force

• ककुदन्तः (kakudantaḥ): the One with a prominent crest/hump-like eminence (an emblem of exalted might)

• कम्पनः (kampanaḥ): the Shaker, who causes trembling

• प्रकम्पनः (prakampanaḥ): the Great Shaker, who makes all things quake

• इन्द्रः (indraḥ): the Lord, supreme ruler

• इन्द्रजयः (endrajayaḥ/indra-jayaḥ): Conqueror of Indra (overcomes even the king of devas)

• महाभीः (mahābhīḥ): the Greatly Terrible/Awesome, inspiring profound reverence

• भीमकः (bhīmakaḥ): the Fearsome One, formidable in power

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Sahasranama to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Indra

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

This verse functions as a segment of the Shiva Sahasranama used in Linga-puja and japa, where invoking Shiva’s names affirms Him as Pati—the supreme Lord beyond all devas—worthy of worship through the Linga as the highest symbol of His presence.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By calling Him both “Indra” and “Conqueror of Indra,” and by naming Him the One who makes the cosmos tremble, the verse presents Shiva-tattva as the transcendent sovereign power that governs and surpasses all conditioned authorities, dissolving pasha (bondage) and establishing divine supremacy.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Name-recitation (nāma-japa) and contemplative meditation on the Sahasranama: in Pashupata-oriented practice, these fierce-auspicious epithets are internalized to cultivate bhakti mixed with vairagya, recognizing Shiva as the ultimate refuge and ruler.