Shloka 37

रुद्राक्ष-माहात्म्य

Rudrākṣa Māhātmya — The Greatness of Rudraksha

Devanagari script

एकं शिखायां रुद्रा क्षं चत्वारिंशत्तु मस्तके । द्वात्रिंशत्कण्ठदेशे तु वक्षस्यष्टोत्तरं शतम्

Transliteration

ekaṃ śikhāyāṃ rudrā kṣaṃ catvāriṃśattu mastake | dvātriṃśatkaṇṭhadeśe tu vakṣasyaṣṭottaraṃ śatam

Translation

శిఖలో ఒక రుద్రాక్ష ధరించాలి; మస్తకంపై నలభై, కంఠప్రదేశంలో ముప్పై రెండు, వక్షస్థలంలో నూట ఎనిమిది రుద్రాక్షలు ధరించాలి।

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), एकवचन; संख्या

• शिखायाम्: in the topknot
• शिखायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative 7th), एकवचन

• रुद्राः: Rudras (beads/marks)
• रुद्राः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), बहुवचन; गणनावाचक-प्रयोगः

• क्षम्: the syllable ‘kṣa’
• क्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्ष (अक्षर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), एकवचन

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• चत्वारिंशत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), एकवचन; संख्या

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative 7th), एकवचन

• द्वात्रिंशत्: thirty-two
• द्वात्रिंशत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वात्रिंशत् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), एकवचन; संख्या

• कण्ठ-देशे: in the neck-region
• कण्ठ-देशे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative 7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—कण्ठस्य देशः

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• वक्षसि: on the chest
• वक्षसि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative 7th), एकवचन

• अष्टोत्तरम्: eight-more (i.e., +8)
• अष्टोत्तरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—अष्ट अधिकम् (eight more)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative 2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s prescribed observances to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Alternative/variant rudrākṣa counts (compared to earlier verses) indicate graded observance; the essence is steadfast Śiva-smaraṇa rather than rigid uniformity.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudraksha

FAQs

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

It presents a Shaiva discipline where Rudrākṣa is worn as a sacred support for bhakti and inner purity—aligning body and mind for Shiva-remembrance (Śiva-smaraṇa) and steadying the seeker toward grace (anugraha) and liberation.

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

Rudrākṣa wearing is a bodily vow that complements Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga-pūjā—by keeping the devotee continually marked as Shiva’s servant and oriented to mantra-japa and ritual purity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Wear Rudrākṣa in the prescribed places and numbers (including 108 on the chest), and pair it with regular japa—traditionally of the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a daily Shaiva sādhanā.