Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 43

शिवस्य आश्वासनं हरि-ब्रह्मणोः तथा शङ्खचूडवृत्तान्तकथनम् / Śiva’s Reassurance to Hari and Brahmā; Account of Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Origin

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तवंतं दुर्गेशं प्रणम्य च मुहुर्मुहुः । राधया सहितः कृष्णः स्वस्थानं सगणो ययौ

Transliteration

ityuktavaṃtaṃ durgeśaṃ praṇamya ca muhurmuhuḥ | rādhayā sahitaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ svasthānaṃ sagaṇo yayau

Translation

असे बोलून कृष्णाने दुर्गेशाला वारंवार नमस्कार केला. मग राधेसह, आपल्या गणांसह, तो आपल्या धामास निघून गेला.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), quotative particle (इति-प्रयोगः)

• uktavantam: the one who had spoken
• uktavantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta-vant (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √vac (धातु) + क्त + वत्)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); past participial possessive (क्तवत्) = 'having said'

• durgeśam: Lord of Durgā
• durgeśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: durga-īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: दुर्गायाः ईशः

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त), indeclinable verbal form; action prior to main verb

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• muhuḥ: again and again
• muhuḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (काल/आवृत्ति)

• muhuḥ: repeatedly
• muhuḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: muhuḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb; repetition for emphasis

• rādhayā: with Rādhā
• rādhayā: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/सह-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rādhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sahitaḥ: accompanied (together)
• sahitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √sah (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past participle used adjectivally

• kṛṣṇaḥ: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sva-sthānam: to his own abode
• sva-sthānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः: स्वं स्थाने (own place)

• sa-gaṇaḥ: with his retinue
• sa-gaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: स + गण (with attendants)

• yayau: went
• yayau: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The epithet Durgēśa (‘Lord of Durgā’) frames Śiva as Umāpati—sovereign of the Goddess—receiving reverence even from Kṛṣṇa and his retinue, underscoring Śiva’s lordship and bestowal of grace.

Significance: Models ideal bhakti: repeated praṇāma (muhur-muhuḥ) as a means to soften ego and invite anugraha.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Radha
• Durgesha

FAQs

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

It highlights bhakti expressed as repeated praṇāma (humble prostration). In a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, such surrender softens ego (āṇava) and prepares the soul (paśu) to receive the Lord’s grace, even while remaining within a narrative of divine interactions.

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

The act of bowing again and again reflects Saguna-upāsanā—devotion to the Lord with attributes and form. In Shiva Purana practice, the same attitude is directed toward the Śiva-liṅga through namaskāra, arcana, and reverential departure after darśana.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to conclude worship with repeated namaskāra and a moment of inward surrender. One may pair this with silent japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while offering pranama, cultivating humility and steadiness of mind.