Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 21

दीक्षितपुत्रस्य दैन्यचिन्ता तथा शिवरात्र्युपासनाप्रसङ्गः / The Initiate’s Son in Distress and the Occasion of Śivarātri Worship

Devanagari script

अभक्षयच्च नैवेद्यं यज्ञदत्तात्मजो मुने । शिवानुग्रहतो नूनं भाविपुण्यबलान्न सः

Transliteration

abhakṣayacca naivedyaṃ yajñadattātmajo mune | śivānugrahato nūnaṃ bhāvipuṇyabalānna saḥ

Translation

ดูก่อนฤๅษี บุตรของยัชญทัตตะมิได้บริโภคไนเวทยะเลย แน่นอนว่านี่เป็นเพราะพระศิวะประทานอนุเคราะห์ เพื่อให้เขาถูกค้ำจุนด้วยกำลังแห่งบุญที่จะบังเกิดในภายหน้า

Word by Word

• abhakṣayat: ate / consumed
• abhakṣayat: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• naivedyam: offering (food)
• naivedyam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naivedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• yajñadatta-ātmajaḥ: the son of Yajñadatta
• yajñadatta-ātmajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajñadatta (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘यज्ञदत्तस्य आत्मजः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• śiva-anugrahataḥ: due to Śiva's grace
• śiva-anugrahataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/cause; ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘शिवस्य अनुग्रहः’); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/sentence adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle of certainty)

• bhāvi-puṇya-balāt: from the power of future merit
• bhāvi-puṇya-balāt: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāvin (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला: ‘भावि पुण्यं’ + ‘पुण्यस्य बलम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (bala), पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Doctrinally illustrates that Śiva’s anugraha can operate as ‘preventive grace’ (pratibandha-nivṛtti), steering a jīva away from acts that would obstruct future puṇya and liberation.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva’s anugraha (grace) as a guiding force that can restrain a person from an act, preserving them for a divinely timed unfolding of punya (merit) and spiritual welfare.

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

It reflects Saguna Śiva’s compassionate governance: the personal Lord actively intervenes in devotees’ lives, shaping outcomes beyond mere ritual performance, showing that grace can supersede outward acts like consuming naivedya.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to cultivate devotion and surrender to Śiva’s will—supported by regular japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and offering naivedya with humility, accepting outcomes as Śiva’s anugraha.