Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37

दक्षयज्ञ-प्रसङ्गे देवतानां आश्वासनं तथा दण्डविधानम् | Consolation of the Devas and the Ordinance of Consequences in the Dakṣa-Yajña Episode

Devanagari script

साधूनां कल्पवृक्षस्त्वं दुष्टानां दंडधृक्सदा । स्वतंत्रः परमात्मा हि भक्ताभीष्टवरप्रदः

Transliteration

sādhūnāṃ kalpavṛkṣastvaṃ duṣṭānāṃ daṃḍadhṛksadā | svataṃtraḥ paramātmā hi bhaktābhīṣṭavarapradaḥ

Translation

สำหรับผู้ประพฤติดี พระองค์ทรงเป็นดุจต้นกัลปพฤกษ์ผู้บันดาลปรารถนา สำหรับคนชั่ว พระองค์ทรงเป็นผู้ถือทัณฑ์เสมอ แท้จริงพระองค์คือปรมาตมันผู้เป็นอิสระยิ่ง ผู้ประทานพรตามความปรารถนาของภักตะ

Word by Word

• साधूनाम्: of the good (people)
• साधूनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन

• कल्प-वृक्षः: wish-fulfilling tree
• कल्प-वृक्षः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प + वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate noun

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुष्टानाम्: of the wicked
• दुष्टानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• दण्ड-धृक्: holder of the rod (punisher)
• दण्ड-धृक्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड + धृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धृक् (क्विप्/agent noun) ‘holder’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• स्वतंत्रः: independent
• स्वतंत्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वतंत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of (त्वम्/महेश्वरः implied)

• परम-आत्मा: Supreme Self
• परम-आत्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle, emphasis)

• भक्त-अभीष्ट-वर-प्रदः: giver of desired boons to devotees
• भक्त-अभीष्ट-वर-प्रदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त + अभीष्ट + वर + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (भक्तानाम् अभीष्टान् वरान् प्रददाति)

Speaker

Sati (addressing Lord Shiva in praise)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: साधूनां कल्पवृक्षस्त्वं दुष्टानां दंडधृक्सदा । स्वतंत्रः परमात्मा हि भक्ताभीष्टवरप्रदः

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as both compassion and justice: he protects and fulfills the needs of the sādhus through grace, while restraining adharmic forces through righteous punishment—showing him as the svatantra (fully sovereign) Paramātman who governs karma yet responds to devotion.

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

The verse supports Saguna Shiva worship by affirming a personal Lord who actively grants boons to devotees and upholds dharma. In Linga worship, this same Shiva is approached as the accessible form of the Paramātman—receiving offerings and bestowing anugraha (grace) according to bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is bhakti-centered japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids—seeking Shiva’s grace for protection, purification of conduct, and the fulfillment of spiritually aligned intentions.