Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 35

घनागमवर्णनम् / Description of the Monsoon’s Onset

Satī’s Address to Śiva

Devanagari script

नानाबहुजलापूर्णसरश्शीत समावृतम् । पद्मिनीशतशोयुक्तमचलेन्द्रं हिमालयम्

Transliteration

nānābahujalāpūrṇasaraśśīta samāvṛtam | padminīśataśoyuktamacalendraṃ himālayam

Translation

Himālaya, raja segala gunung, dilingkari tasik-tasik sejuk yang sarat dengan air yang melimpah dari pelbagai jenis, serta dihiasi ratusan kolam teratai.

Word by Word

• नाना-बहु-जल-पूर्ण-सरः-शीत-समावृतम्: covered with cool lakes full of various abundant waters
• नाना-बहु-जल-पूर्ण-सरः-शीत-समावृतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्ण (कृदन्त; √पॄ (पूरणे) क्त) + सरस् (प्रातिपदिक) + शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + समावृत (कृदन्त; √वृ (वरणे) + सम्-आ- उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः; ‘enveloped/covered’ (क्त) qualifying the mountain

• पद्मिनी-शतशः-युक्तम्: joined with hundreds of lotus-ponds (padminīs)
• पद्मिनी-शतशः-युक्तम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + शतशस् (अव्यय) + युक्त (कृदन्त; √युज् (योजने) क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पद्मिन्या युक्तम्) + अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (‘in hundreds’)

• अचल-इन्द्रम्: the lord of mountains
• अचल-इन्द्रम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘lord of mountains’

• हिमालयम्: Himalaya
• हिमालयम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular; apposition to अचलेन्द्रम्

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha

Sthala Purana: The Himalayan landscape—cool lakes and lotus-ponds—serves as the sacred theatre for Śiva’s presence; Kedāra’s broader sthala memory centers on Śiva’s Himalayan manifestation and the sanctity of mountain waters.

Significance: Mountain tīrthas symbolize inner cooling of passions and purification; lotus waters evoke sattva and readiness for Śiva-darśana.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Himālaya

FAQs

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

By portraying Himālaya as cool, water-rich, and lotus-adorned, the verse sanctifies the mountain as a pure tīrtha-like realm—an outer reflection of inner purity—fit for Shaiva devotion and the unfolding of divine events connected with Satī and Śiva.

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

In the Shiva Purana, sacred landscapes prepare the mind for Saguna Shiva-upāsanā: serene waters and lotus-ponds symbolize clarity and sattva, supporting focused worship of Śiva—whether as the Liṅga (iconic presence) or as the compassionate Lord manifest in sacred places.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The imagery naturally suggests tīrtha-smaraṇa and dhyāna: contemplate a cool, lotus-filled Himālaya while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating calmness and devotional concentration.