Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33

दिव्यरथारोहणम् — Śiva’s Ascent on the Divine Chariot

Pre-battle Portents

Devanagari script

गणेश्वरैर्देवगणैश्च भृङ्गी समावृतस्सर्वगणेन्द्रवर्यः । जगाम योगांस्त्रिपुरं निहंतुं विमानमारुह्य यथा महेन्द्रः

Transliteration

gaṇeśvarairdevagaṇaiśca bhṛṅgī samāvṛtassarvagaṇendravaryaḥ | jagāma yogāṃstripuraṃ nihaṃtuṃ vimānamāruhya yathā mahendraḥ

Translation

Dikelilingi oleh para penguasa gaṇa, oleh rombongan para dewa pengiring, dan oleh Bhṛṅgī, pemuka teragung di antara semua ketua gaṇa itu pun berangkat—dengan kuasa yoga—untuk memusnahkan Tripura. Baginda menaiki vimāna, laksana Mahendra (Indra) menaiki kereta angkasanya.

Word by Word

• गणेश्वरैः: by/with the gaṇeśvaras
• गणेश्वरैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• देवगणैः: by/with the hosts of gods
• देवगणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• भृङ्गी: Bhṛṅgī
• भृङ्गी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्गिन्/भृङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (नाम)

• समावृतः: surrounded/encircled
• समावृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + √वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गयुक्त ‘सम्-आ-’

• सर्वगणेन्द्रवर्यः: the excellent lord of all gaṇas
• सर्वगणेन्द्रवर्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + गण + इन्द्र + वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सर्वेषां गणानाम् इन्द्रः’ इति + ‘वर्य’ (श्रेष्ठ)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• योगान्: yogins/adepts (or yogic powers)
• योगान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्रिपुरम्: Tripura (the three cities)
• त्रिपुरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास ‘three cities’

• निहन्तुम्: to destroy/slay
• निहन्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √हन् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive) ‘to slay’; उपसर्ग ‘नि-’

• विमानम्: a chariot/aircraft
• विमानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थे ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) = ‘having mounted’; उपसर्ग ‘आ-’

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (comparative indeclinable) = ‘as/like’

• महेन्द्रः: Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रः: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘महान् इन्द्रः’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛṅgī
• Indra (Mahendra)
• Tripura
• Śiva’s gaṇas
• Deva-gaṇas

FAQs

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

It portrays Shiva’s divine order moving through yogic mastery: the gaṇas and devas unite under the Supreme Lord’s will to dismantle Tripura—symbolic of the threefold bondage (āṇava, karma, māyā) that Siddhānta teaches Shiva alone can dissolve.

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

The verse highlights Saguna Shiva’s leela—Shiva as the active Lord who leads his gaṇas to restore dharma. Linga-worship remembers this same Pati (Lord) as the accessible form through which grace descends and bondage is destroyed.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as Gaṇeśvara with the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” visualizing Tripura as inner impurities; support the practice with vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as reminders of renunciation and Shiva’s protecting presence.