Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 47

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

धात्र्युद्भवा स्मृता धात्री माभवा मालती स्मृता । गौरीभवा च तुलसी तमस्सत्त्वरजोगुणाः

Transliteration

dhātryudbhavā smṛtā dhātrī mābhavā mālatī smṛtā | gaurībhavā ca tulasī tamassattvarajoguṇāḥ

Translation

ธาตรีกล่าวว่าเกิดจากต้นธาตรี (อามลกี), มาลตีกล่าวว่ากำเนิดจาก ‘มา’, และตุลสีกล่าวว่าเกิดจากพระแม่คุรี; ทั้งสามยังสัมพันธ์กับคุณะสาม คือ ตมัส สัตตวะ และรชัส

Word by Word

• dhātrī-udbhavā: born from Dhātrī
• dhātrī-udbhavā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhātrī+udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; धात्र्याः उद्भवः यस्याः/या—“born from Dhātrī”

• smṛtā: is called
• smṛtā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used predicatively, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “is called/remembered as”

• dhātrī: Dhātrī
• dhātrī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• mālatī-udbhavā: born from Mālatī
• mālatī-udbhavā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mālatī+udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “born from Mālatī”

• mālatī: Mālatī
• mālatī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mālatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• smṛtā: is called
• smṛtā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used predicatively, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• gaurī-udbhavā: born from Gaurī
• gaurī-udbhavā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaurī+udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “born from Gaurī”

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tulasī: Tulasī
• tulasī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tulasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tamaḥ: tamas (darkness/inertia)
• tamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• sattva: sattva (purity)
• sattva: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rajas: rajas (activity)
• rajas: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• guṇāḥ: qualities
• guṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

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

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Vāmadeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Gauri
• Parvati
• Tulasī
• Mālatī
• Dhātrī

FAQs

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

It links sacred offering-plants to divine origins and to the three guṇas, teaching that devotion (bhakti) can purify the guṇas and orient the mind toward Śiva, the Lord beyond prakṛti.

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

By describing holy plants and their guṇa-associations, the verse supports saguna worship through prescribed offerings; such pūjā to the Liṅga disciplines the guṇas and leads the devotee toward realization of Śiva’s transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer pure leaves/flowers with guṇa-awareness—cultivating sattva through clean conduct and prayer—while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as the inner practice accompanying external pūjā.