Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 16

अलकापतेः तपः-लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा च वरप्राप्तिः / The Lord of Alakā: Austerity, Liṅga-Establishment, and the Receiving of a Boon

Devanagari script

प्रसार्य नयने पूर्वमुमामेव व्यलोकयत् । तोऽसौ याज्ञदत्तिस्तु तत्सामर्थ्यमवाप्य च

Transliteration

prasārya nayane pūrvamumāmeva vyalokayat | to'sau yājñadattistu tatsāmarthyamavāpya ca

Translation

Setelah membuka matanya, mula-mula ia melihat Umā sahaja. Kemudian Yājñadatta itu, setelah memperoleh kekuatan dan keupayaan melalui rahmat baginda, menjadi diberkati dengan daya kuasa.

Word by Word

• prasārya: having opened/stretched
• prasārya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-sṛ (धातु) + ya (ल्यप्/absolutive)
• Form: Absolutive (gerund, lyap); ‘having stretched/extended’

• nayane: (his) two eyes
• nayane: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Dvivacana (dual)

• pūrvam: first/previously
• pūrvam: Kāla (काल/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrvam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla-avyaya (temporal adverb)

• umām: Umā (Pārvatī)
• umām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: umā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; niyama/avadhāraṇa particle (emphasis)

• vyalokayat: looked at/saw
• vyalokayat: Kriyā (क्रिया/main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√lok (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (imperfect/past), Parasmaipada, Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana

• taḥ: then/thereupon
• taḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; tasmāt-artha ‘then/thereupon’ (sandhi form of tataḥ)

• asau: that man/he
• asau: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• yājñadattiḥ: Yājñadatti
• yājñadattiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yājñadatti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; proper noun

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction/particle (contrast/emphasis)

• tat-sāmarthyam: that power/ability
• tat-sāmarthyam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (प्रातिपदिक) + sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘tasya sāmarthyam’

• avāpya: having obtained
• avāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु) + ya (ल्यप्/absolutive)
• Form: Absolutive (gerund, lyap); ‘having obtained’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Uma
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights anugraha (divine grace): by the compassionate glance of Umā, the devotee gains inner capacity (sāmarthya), showing that spiritual power arises from the Lord’s and Śakti’s bestowal rather than egoic effort.

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

Although the verse centers on Umā, it supports Saguna worship: approaching Shiva together with Śakti (Uma-Maheshvara) makes the devotee fit for Shiva-upāsanā, including Linga worship, because grace awakens competence for right practice and realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dhyāna on Uma-Maheshvara with a prayer for anugraha, paired with japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to cultivate receptivity to grace and steadiness in sādhana.