Shloka 46

रुद्राक्ष-माहात्म्य

Rudrākṣa Māhātmya — The Greatness of Rudraksha

Devanagari script

आदावामलकात्स्वतो लघुतरा रुग्णास्ततः कंटकैः संदष्टाः कृमिभिस्तनूपकरणच्छिद्रे ण हीनास्तथा । धार्या नैव शुभेप्सुभिश्चणकवद्रुद्रा क्षमप्यंततो रुद्रा क्षोमम लिंगमंगलमुमे सूक्ष्मं प्रशस्तं सदा

Transliteration

ādāvāmalakātsvato laghutarā rugṇāstataḥ kaṃṭakaiḥ saṃdaṣṭāḥ kṛmibhistanūpakaraṇacchidre ṇa hīnāstathā | dhāryā naiva śubhepsubhiścaṇakavadrudrā kṣamapyaṃtato rudrā kṣomama liṃgamaṃgalamume sūkṣmaṃ praśastaṃ sadā

Translation

ହେ ଉମା! ଯେ ରୁଦ୍ରାକ୍ଷ ଆରମ୍ଭରୁ ସ୍ୱଭାବତଃ ଅତ୍ୟଧିକ ହାଲୁକା, ପରେ ରୋଗାକ୍ରାନ୍ତ, କଣ୍ଟକରେ ବିଦ୍ଧ/ଛିନ୍ନ, କୃମିଦ୍ୱାରା ଖାଇଦିଆ, କିମ୍ବା ଉପକରଣର ଛିଦ୍ରରେ କ୍ଷୟପ୍ରାପ୍ତ—ଏମିତି ମଣିକୁ ଶୁଭ ଚାହୁଁଥିବା ଲୋକେ ଚଣା ପରି ମଧ୍ୟ ଧାରଣ କରିବେ ନାହିଁ। କିନ୍ତୁ ଯେ ରୁଦ୍ରାକ୍ଷ ଅଖଣ୍ଡ, ନିର୍ଦୋଷ, ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଓ ସୁଗଠିତ, ସେହିଟି ଶିବଲିଙ୍ଗ-ଆରାଧନାରେ ସଦା ମଙ୍ଗଳକର ବୋଲି ପ୍ରଶଂସିତ।

Word by Word

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदौ (अव्यय; आदि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक/क्रमवाचक (adverb: at first)

• आमलकात्: from the āmalaka (emblic myrobalan)
• आमलकात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: ablative singular

• स्वतः: by itself
• स्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वार्थक (by itself)

• लघुतराः: lighter (ones)
• लघुतराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative) ‘lighter’; English: feminine nominative plural

• रुग्णाः: damaged, diseased
• रुग्णाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुग्ण (कृदन्त; √रुज् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-भूतकृदन्त ‘damaged/afflicted’; English: feminine nominative plural

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• कण्टकैः: by thorns
• कण्टकैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; English: instrumental plural

• संदष्टाः: bitten
• संदष्टाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संदष्ट (कृदन्त; √दंश् धातु, सम्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-भूतकृदन्त ‘bitten’; English: feminine nominative plural

• कृमिभिः: by worms
• कृमिभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; English: instrumental plural

• तनूपकरणच्छिद्रेण: through a hole in the body/implement
• तनूपकरणच्छिद्रेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु-उपकरण-छिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: तनु (body) + उपकरण (instrument/means) + छिद्र (hole) = ‘hole in the bodily instrument’; English: instrumental singular

• हीनाः: deficient, lacking
• हीनाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (कृदन्त; √हा धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-भूतकृदन्त ‘deprived/defective’; English: feminine nominative plural

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘also/likewise’

• धार्याः: to be worn
• धार्याः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्य (कृदन्त; √धृ धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive) ‘to be worn’; English: feminine nominative plural

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• शुभेप्सुभिः: by those seeking auspiciousness
• शुभेप्सुभिः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ-ईप्सु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: शुभ (auspicious) + ईप्सु (desiring) = ‘desirers of auspiciousness’; English: instrumental plural

• चणकवत्: like a chickpea
• चणकवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चणकवत् (अव्यय; चणक-प्रातिपदिक + वत्)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (simile adverb: like a chickpea)

• रुद्राक्षम्: Rudrākṣa (bead)
• रुद्राक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्राक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; English: neuter nom/acc sg

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• अन्ततः: in the end
• अन्ततः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिणाम/अवसानवाचक (finally)

• रुद्राक्ष-क्षौमम्: Rudrākṣa-linen (linen thread/cloth)
• रुद्राक्ष-क्षौमम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्राक्ष-क्षौम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: रुद्राक्ष (Rudrākṣa) + क्षौम (linen) (i.e., linen thread/garment associated with Rudrākṣa); English: neuter nom/acc sg

• लिङ्ग-मङ्गलम्: auspicious emblem/sign
• लिङ्ग-मङ्गलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिङ्ग-मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: लिङ्ग (sign/emblem) + मङ्गल (auspicious) = ‘auspicious emblem’; English: neuter nom/acc sg

• उमे: O Umā
• उमे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; English: vocative singular

• सूक्ष्मम्: subtle, fine
• सूक्ष्मम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; English: neuter nom/acc sg

• प्रशस्तम्: commended, approved
• प्रशस्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रशस्त (कृदन्त; √शंस् धातु, प्र-उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-भूतकृदन्त ‘praised/approved’; English: neuter nom/acc sg

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नित्यत्ववाचक (always)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s worship-instructions to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Defines standards of purity/wholeness for sacred implements used in Liṅga-oriented devotion; reinforces that auspiciousness (maṅgala) depends on śuddha-upakaraṇa and right intent.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches that outer ritual purity supports inner steadiness: defective Rudrākṣa is avoided so the devotee’s worship remains sattvic, orderly, and aligned with Śiva’s auspicious presence in Liṅga-arcana.

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

The verse frames Rudrākṣa as an accessory of Saguna Śiva devotion—supporting Liṅga worship—while insisting that only sound, well-formed beads are fit for sacred use in pūjā and daily practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Use only intact, clean, well-formed Rudrākṣa for wearing or japa during Śiva-pūjā; avoid beads that are worm-eaten, thorn-damaged, overly light/defective, or artificially weakened by improper drilling.