Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 23

शब्दब्रह्मतनुवर्णनम् — Description of the Form of Śabda-Brahman

Devanagari script

अंडमप्सु स्थितं साक्षाद्व्याघातेनेश्वरेण तु । तथास्य सुशुभं हैमं कपालं चोर्द्ध्वसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

aṃḍamapsu sthitaṃ sākṣādvyāghāteneśvareṇa tu | tathāsya suśubhaṃ haimaṃ kapālaṃ corddhvasaṃsthitam

Translation

ไข่จักรวาลตั้งอยู่เหนือห้วงน้ำโดยตรง; ครั้นแล้วด้วยแรงกระแทกอันเด็ดขาดของพระอีศวรเอง มันถูกกระทบแตกออก. จากนั้นเปลือกส่วนบนอันรุ่งเรืองดุจทองคำก็ลอยสูงขึ้นและตั้งอยู่เบื้องบน

Word by Word

• अण्डम्: the egg (cosmic egg)
• अण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd case), एकवचन

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/locative), बहुवचन

• स्थितम्: placed/situated
• स्थितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• व्याघातेन: by the striking/impact
• व्याघातेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• ईश्वरेण: by the Lord
• ईश्वरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अस्य: of it/of this
• अस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/genitive), एकवचन

• सुशुभम्: very beautiful
• सुशुभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• हैमम्: golden
• हैमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कपालम्: skull/bowl
• कपालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• ऊर्ध्व-संस्थितम्: situated above/upright
• ऊर्ध्व-संस्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्थित (स्था-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अव्ययीभाव-न; here determinative): ऊर्ध्वे संस्थितम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Cosmogonic emergence of brahmāṇḍa over the primordial waters (āpah)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It portrays Īśvara as the conscious, sovereign cause behind cosmic manifestation: creation is not random, but unfolds by the Lord’s deliberate will and power, revealing Shiva as Pati (the supreme Lord) who initiates order from the undifferentiated waters.

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

The verse emphasizes Saguna Īśvara’s active governance of sṛṣṭi—supporting devotional worship where Shiva is approached as the personal Lord who manifests and regulates the cosmos, a foundation for Linga-upāsanā as worship of the supreme controller present within creation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as Īśvara—the one who brings order through his śakti—while repeating the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating the ‘upper rising’ as upliftment of awareness from the waters of inertia toward luminous clarity.