Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 23

अलकापतेः तपः-लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा च वरप्राप्तिः / The Lord of Alakā: Austerity, Liṅga-Establishment, and the Receiving of a Boon

Devanagari script

संपश्यति तपोलक्ष्मीं तव किं त्वधिवर्णयेत् । इति देवीं समाभाष्य तमीशः पुनरब्रवीत्

Transliteration

saṃpaśyati tapolakṣmīṃ tava kiṃ tvadhivarṇayet | iti devīṃ samābhāṣya tamīśaḥ punarabravīt

Translation

“เขากำลังเห็นสิริอันรุ่งเรืองที่บังเกิดจากตบะของเจ้า แล้วใครเล่าจะพรรณนาได้ครบถ้วน?” ครั้นตรัสกับพระเทวีดังนี้แล้ว พระอีศะ (พระศิวะ) ก็ตรัสต่ออีกครั้ง

Word by Word

• saṃpaśyati: sees clearly
• saṃpaśyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-paś (सम्+पश् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (लट्, present), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana

• tapo-lakṣmīm: the splendor of austerity
• tapo-lakṣmīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (तपस् प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (लक्ष्मी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तपसः लक्ष्मीम्)

• tava: of you/your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (त्वद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (6th/षष्ठी), Ekavacana

• kim: what? / why?
• kim: Prayojana/Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative used adverbially (प्रश्न-अव्ययप्रयोग)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adversative/emphatic particle (विरोध/अवधारण)

• adhivarṇayet: should describe further
• adhivarṇayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-varṇ (अधि+वर्ण् धातु)
• Form: Optative/vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotation particle

• devīm: the goddess
• devīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (देवी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• samābhāṣya: having addressed
• samābhāṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-bhāṣ (सम्+आ+भाष् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having addressed/spoken to’

• tam: him/that (speech)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• īśaḥ: the Lord
• īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (ईश प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• abravīt: said/spoke
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (ब्रू धातु)
• Form: Luṅ lakāra (लुङ्, aorist), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not tied to a jyotirliṅga; Śiva’s utterance praises Devī’s tapas-lakṣmī as ineffable, a common Purāṇic trope of ‘anirvacanīya’ glory.

Significance: Encourages reverence for tapas as spiritual capital; hearing Śiva extol Devī’s austerity inspires vrata, self-restraint, and devotion aligned with dharma.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse affirms that the radiance born of tapas is ineffable: when Shakti’s disciplined devotion ripens, even Shiva acknowledges it as beyond complete verbal praise—highlighting tapas as a purifier that supports grace (anugraha) and liberation.

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

By showing Shiva speaking intimately to the Goddess, the text frames Saguna Shiva as responsive to devotion and austerity; Linga-worship similarly channels focused tapas (japa, vrata, upāsanā) into a living relationship with the Lord who recognizes and blesses sincere practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to tapas expressed as vrata and japa—especially steady Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) repetition with disciplined living; on days like Mahāśivarātri, this can be paired with Linga-abhiṣeka and mindful restraint.