Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20

सतीसंक्षेपचरित्रवर्णनम् — Summary Description of Satī’s Narrative

Devanagari script

विवाह्य तां स आगत्य स्वगिरौ सूतिकृत्तया । रेमे बहुविमोहो हि स्वतंत्रस्स्वात्तविग्रहः

Transliteration

vivāhya tāṃ sa āgatya svagirau sūtikṛttayā | reme bahuvimoho hi svataṃtrassvāttavigrahaḥ

Translation

ครั้นอภิเษกกับนางแล้ว พระองค์เสด็จกลับสู่ที่พำนักบนภูเขาของพระองค์พร้อมพระสตี ที่นั่นพระผู้เป็นอิสระ ผู้ทรงแปลงกายตามพระประสงค์ ทรงเสวยลีลาอย่างรื่นรมย์และทรงยินดีในนางยิ่งนัก

Word by Word

• vivāhya: having married
• vivāhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vah (वह्-धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिजन्त; vivāhayati) + Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having married (caused to be married)’

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• āgatya: having come
• āgatya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्-धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), with prefix ā- (आगम्), ‘having come’

• sva-girau: on his own mountain
• sva-girau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (स्व-प्रातिपदिक) + giri (गिरि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘on his own mountain’

• sūtikṛttayā: by/with childbirth (or by the birth-attendant)
• sūtikṛttayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūti (सूति-प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); तृतीया-हेतौ/करणे; compound meaning ‘by/with the act of childbirth’ or ‘by the midwife/one who performs sūti’ (context-dependent)

• reme: enjoyed / sported
• reme: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (रम्-धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• bahu-vimohaḥ: great infatuation/delusion
• bahu-vimohaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahu (बहु-प्रातिपदिक) + vimoha (विमोह-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय ‘great delusion/infatuation’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (हि-अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अव्यय; निश्चय/कारणार्थक)

• svatantraḥ: independent
• svatantraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svatantra (स्वतन्त्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• svātta-vigrahaḥ: one whose form is well-assumed
• svātta-vigrahaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svātta (स्वात्त-प्रातिपदिक) + vigraha (विग्रह-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहि ‘whose body/form is well-assumed/accepted’

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati
• Kailasa

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva as Svatantra—the supremely free Lord—whose bliss and actions arise from his own sovereignty, showing that divine “play” is not worldly bondage but the Lord’s self-luminous, grace-filled leela.

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

By calling Śiva “svātta-vigraha” (self-assumed form), the verse supports Saguna worship: the same transcendent Lord compassionately becomes approachable through form—Linga and mūrti—so devotees can offer bhakti and receive anugraha (grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is leela-smaraṇa (devotional remembrance) of Śiva with Śakti while repeating the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” optionally with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as Shaiva aids to steady devotion.