Shiva Purana — Kotirudra Samhita, Shloka 55

Śiva-jñāna and the Non-dual Vision of a Śiva-maya Universe (शिवज्ञानम्—सर्वं शिवमयम्)

Devanagari script

नमस्कारैः स्तवैश्चैव स्वस्तिवाचनपूर्वकम् । आशीर्भिर्वर्द्धयामासुः संतुष्टाश्छिन्नसंशयाः

Transliteration

namaskāraiḥ stavaiścaiva svastivācanapūrvakam | āśīrbhirvarddhayāmāsuḥ saṃtuṣṭāśchinnasaṃśayāḥ

Translation

ਸੰਤੁਸ਼ਟ ਤੇ ਸੰਦੇਹ-ਰਹਿਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਨਮਸਕਾਰਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਤੁਤੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਆਦਰ ਕੀਤਾ। ਫਿਰ ਮੰਗਲ ਬਚਨਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਸ਼ੀਰਵਾਦੀ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਹੋਰ ਮਹਿਮਾ ਵਧਾਈ।

Word by Word

• नमस्कारैः: with salutations
• नमस्कारैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd case), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; means/with salutations

• स्तवैः: with hymns
• स्तवैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; with hymns/praises

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• स्वस्तिवाचनपूर्वकम्: preceded by uttering auspicious words
• स्वस्तिवाचनपूर्वकम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्ति-वाचन-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd case), एकवचन — Accusative singular; adverbial adjective qualifying the manner of action; components: स्वस्ति (benediction) + वाचन (uttering) + पूर्वक (preceded by)

• आशीर्भिः: with blessings
• आशीर्भिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशीस्/आशिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural; with blessings

• वर्द्धयामासुः: they increased / they extolled
• वर्द्धयामासुः: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम् — they increased/caused to grow; (periphrastic perfect usage)

• संतुष्टाः: satisfied
• संतुष्टाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतुष्ट (कृदन्त; तुष् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st case), बहुवचन — Past passive participle used adjectivally; satisfied

• छिन्नसंशयाः: with doubts removed
• छिन्नसंशयाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न-संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Nominative plural; components: छिन्न (cut/removed) + संशय (doubt)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General liturgical behavior rather than a site legend: namaskāra + stava + svasti-vācana indicates formalized worship etiquette.

Significance: Teaches that doubt-cutting (saṃśaya-ccheda) is a fruit of Śiva-kathā; the pilgrim responds with prostration and praise, sealing the teaching with auspicious utterance.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights a key Shaiva Siddhanta movement: when devotion matures, doubt is cut off and the heart becomes satisfied; then worship naturally expresses itself as namaskara (humble surrender), stuti (praise), and āśīḥ (benediction), affirming Shiva’s auspicious grace.

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

Prostrations, hymns, and svasti-vachana are classic modes of Saguna Shiva worship—approaching the Lord through form, praise, and auspicious recitation—by which the devotee’s uncertainty dissolves and reverence becomes steady.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is to begin Shiva worship with auspicious invocations (svasti), then offer namaskara and recite a Shiva stotra; this can be paired with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” to cultivate doubtless devotion.