Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 24

दीक्षितपुत्रस्य दैन्यचिन्ता तथा शिवरात्र्युपासनाप्रसङ्गः / The Initiate’s Son in Distress and the Occasion of Śivarātri Worship

Devanagari script

शिवगणा ऊचुः । मुंचतैनं द्विजं याम्या गणाः परम धार्मिकम् । दण्डयोग्यो न विप्रोऽसौ दग्धसर्वाघसंचयः

Transliteration

śivagaṇā ūcuḥ | muṃcatainaṃ dvijaṃ yāmyā gaṇāḥ parama dhārmikam | daṇḍayogyo na vipro'sau dagdhasarvāghasaṃcayaḥ

Translation

शिवगण म्हणाले—हे यमाचे गणहो, या परम धर्मात्मा द्विजाला सोडा. हा ब्राह्मण दंडास पात्र नाही, कारण याचे सर्व पापसंचय दग्ध झाले आहेत.

Word by Word

• शिव-गणाः: Śiva’s gaṇas
• शिव-गणाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Śiva’s hosts)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• मुंचत: release!
• मुंचत: क्रिया (Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद; छान्दस/वैकल्पिक रूप ‘मुंचत’ for ‘मुचत’

• एनम्: this man/him
• एनम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• द्विजम्: the brāhmaṇa (twice-born)
• द्विजम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; apposition to ‘enam’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• याम्याः: of Yama
• याम्याः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘gaṇāḥ’)

• गणाः: O attendants!
• गणाः: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Vocative/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बोधनार्थे (address)

• परम्: supremely
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘dhārmikam’)

• धार्मिकम्: righteous
• धार्मिकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘dvijam’)

• दण्ड-योग्यः: fit for punishment
• दण्ड-योग्यः: प्रत्याख्यान (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुषः (fit for punishment)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• विप्रः: the brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: कर्ता/विषय (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• असौ: this (man)
• असौ: कर्ता/विषय (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• दग्ध-सर्व-अघ-संचयः: whose entire mass of sins has been burnt
• दग्ध-सर्व-अघ-संचयः: विशेषण (Qualifier of ‘asau/vipraḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दग्ध (कृदन्त) < दह् (धातु) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहिः (he whose collection of all sins is burnt)

Speaker

Śiva-gaṇas (attendants of Lord Śiva)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it is a doctrinally charged scene where Śiva’s gaṇas assert that sin (āgha) is ‘burnt’—a grace/merit transformation overriding Yama’s punitive claim.

Significance: Encourages Śiva-bhakti as pāpa-dāha (burning of sins) and as refuge from fear of punishment; reinforces the supremacy of Śiva’s anugraha over mere retribution.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Judicial confrontation in the subtle realm: dharma vs grace, punishment vs purification.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Yama

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva’s grace and dharmic devotion can burn the latent store of pāpa (sin), making the soul no longer eligible for punitive karmic retribution—highlighting Śiva as Pati who liberates the bound paśu from pāśa.

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

The verse reflects Saguna Śiva’s protective role: sincere worship and allegiance to Śiva’s dharma invoke His gaṇas’ guardianship, implying that Linga-bhakti and Śiva-sevā purify karma and remove obstacles on the path to liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is daily Śiva-smaraṇa with the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), supported by purity practices like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and disciplined dharma, as means for inner purification and karmic burning.