Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 43

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । इत्युक्त्वा तास्ततो देव्योंतर्हिता अभवन्मुने । रुद्रविष्णुविधीनां हि शक्तयस्त्रिगुणात्मिकाः

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | ityuktvā tāstato devyoṃtarhitā abhavanmune | rudraviṣṇuvidhīnāṃ hi śaktayastriguṇātmikāḥ

Translation

สนัตกุมารกล่าวว่า “ครั้นตรัสดังนี้แล้ว โอ้มุนี เหล่าเทวีก็อันตรธานไป ณ ที่นั้น เพราะศักติของพระรุทระ (ศิวะ) พระวิษณุ และพระวิธี (พรหมา) ล้วนมีสภาวะแห่งตรีคุณ”

Word by Word

• सनत्कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत्कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सनत् + कुमार)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having said’

• ताः: they (those women)
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal-locative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/कालवाचक (from there/then)

• देव्यः: the goddesses
• देव्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्तर्हिताः: vanished/hidden
• अन्तर्हिताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्हित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √धा/√हि? as lexicalized)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘hidden/vanished’

• अभवन्: became/were
• अभवन्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• रुद्र-विष्णु-विधीनाम्: of Rudra, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā (Vidhī)
• रुद्र-विष्णु-विधीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—द्वन्द्व (रुद्र-विष्णु-विधि); षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ

• शक्तयः: powers/energies
• शक्तयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• त्रिगुण-आत्मिकाः: consisting of the three guṇas
• त्रिगुण-आत्मिकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (त्रिगुणस्य आत्मिका); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; शक्तयः इति विशेषण

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Rudra

FAQs

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

It distinguishes the Supreme Lord (Rudra as Pati) from the operational divine energies (śaktis) that function through the three guṇas; spiritual progress involves recognizing guṇa-bound activity and turning the mind toward Shiva who grants liberation beyond prakṛti.

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

Linga/Saguna worship supports the devotee within the guṇas—purifying tamas and rajas and stabilizing sattva—so the mind can approach Rudra with devotion; the verse frames divine manifestations and powers as guṇa-based while Shiva remains the liberating Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is guṇa-purification through Shiva-upāsanā: japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), wearing rudrākṣa, and applying tripuṇḍra (bhasma) to steady the mind in sattva and reduce rajas-tamas.