Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अयं रुद्रगणाधीशो वीरभद्रोऽरि मर्दनः । रुद्रकोपाग्निसंभूतः समायातोध्वरांगणे

Transliteration

ayaṃ rudragaṇādhīśo vīrabhadro'ri mardanaḥ | rudrakopāgnisaṃbhūtaḥ samāyātodhvarāṃgaṇe

Translation

ਇਹ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ-ਗਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਧੀਸ਼, ਵੈਰੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਮਰਦਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਵੀਰਭਦ੍ਰ ਹੈ। ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਦੇ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ-ਅਗਨਿ ਤੋਂ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਇਹ ਹੁਣ ਯਜ੍ਞ ਦੇ ਆੰਗਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਆ ਪਹੁੰਚਿਆ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• rudra-gaṇa-adhīśaḥ: lord of Rudra’s hosts
• rudra-gaṇa-adhīśaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: रुद्राणां गणानाम् अधीशः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• vīrabhadraḥ: Vīrabhadra
• vīrabhadraḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra + bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: वीरः भद्रः (कर्मधारय)

• ari-mardanaḥ: crusher of enemies
• ari-mardanaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ari (प्रातिपदिक) + mardana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: अरिणां मर्दनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• rudra-kopa-agni-sambhūtaḥ: born from Rudra’s fire of wrath
• rudra-kopa-agni-sambhūtaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + kopa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + sambhūta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: रुद्रस्य कोपाग्निना सम्भूतः (तत्पुरुष; आन्तर-समास: कोप+अग्नि कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष)

• samāyātaḥ: has come/arrived
• samāyātaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-yā (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्+आ-, धातु: या (to come)

• adhvara-aṅgaṇe: in the sacrificial courtyard
• adhvara-aṅgaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅgaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समास: अध्वरस्य अङ्गणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Vīrabhadra
• Rudragaṇas
• Dakṣa (context)

FAQs

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

It portrays divine wrath not as mere anger but as Rudra-śakti acting to restore dharma when sacred order is violated—Vīrabhadra embodies Shiva’s protective governance over the cosmos and over the sanctity of devotion.

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

Vīrabhadra is a Saguna manifestation of Shiva’s power—showing that the formless (Nirguna) Lord can assume form to uphold righteousness; thus Linga-worship is linked to reverence for Shiva as both transcendent and actively present in the world.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to cultivate Rudra-bhakti with the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and humble discipline, remembering that yajña and ritual bear fruit only when joined with devotion and reverence to Shiva.