Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9

रुद्राविर्भावकारणम् — Causes and Pattern of Rudra’s Manifestation

Pratikalpa

Devanagari script

जलंधरविरिंचेन्द्रकपालशकलोज्ज्वलः । गङ्गातुंगतरंगार्धपिंगलाननमूर्धजः

Transliteration

jalaṃdharaviriṃcendrakapālaśakalojjvalaḥ | gaṅgātuṃgataraṃgārdhapiṃgalānanamūrdhajaḥ

Translation

Maheshvara resplandece, ornado com fragmentos de crânios—os de Jalandhara, Virinci (Brahmā) e Indra; e sua cabeça e cabelos são enobrecidos pelas ondas altas e impetuosas do Gaṅgā, tornando seu semblante de um tom dourado e fulvo.

Word by Word

• jalaṃdhara-viriṃca-indra-kapāla-śakala-ujjvalaḥ: bright with fragments of skulls (of Jalandhara, Brahmā, Indra, etc.)
• jalaṃdhara-viriṃca-indra-kapāla-śakala-ujjvalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jalaṃdhara (प्रातिपदिक) + viriṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक) + kapāla (प्रातिपदिक) + śakala (प्रातिपदिक) + ujjvala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपदसमासः (determinative), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘जलंधर-विरिंच-इन्द्र- (आदि) कपाल-शकलैः उज्ज्वलः’

• gaṅgā-tuṃga-taraṃga-ardha-piṃgala-ānana-mūrdhajaḥ: whose face and hair are tawny from (the touch of) Gaṅgā’s high waves
• gaṅgā-tuṃga-taraṃga-ardha-piṃgala-ānana-mūrdhajaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक) + tuṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + taraṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + piṃgala (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrdhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिः, पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गङ्गायाः तुङ्ग-तरङ्ग-अर्धेन पिङ्गलं आननं मूर्धजाश्च यस्य’ (whose face/hair are tawny from half the lofty waves of Gaṅgā)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ganga
• Indra
• Brahma
• Jalandhara

FAQs

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

The verse praises Shiva’s Saguna form as the supreme Pati who transcends death and ego: the skull-ornaments signify mastery over mortality and the dissolution of pride, while Gaṅgā on his matted locks signifies purifying grace flowing from the Lord who liberates bound souls (paśu) from bondage (pāśa).

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

It supports Saguna-upāsanā by meditating on Shiva’s recognizable attributes—Gaṅgā-bearing locks and radiant, awe-inspiring adornments—through which devotees stabilize the mind; such dhyāna naturally culminates in Linga-worship, where the same Lord is adored in a concentrated, aniconic form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice Shiva-dhyāna by visualizing the Gaṅgā in his jaṭā and offering water (jalābhiṣeka) to the Shiva-liṅga with the remembrance of purity; accompany it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a steady contemplative discipline.