Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 8

शङ्खचूडस्य मायायुद्धं तथा माहेश्वरास्त्रप्रभावः | Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Māyā-Warfare and the Power of the Māheśvara Astra

Devanagari script

अथ युद्धे महेशानस्तद्वधाय महाबलः । शूलं जग्राह सहसा दुर्निवार्यं सुतेजसाम्

Transliteration

atha yuddhe maheśānastadvadhāya mahābalaḥ | śūlaṃ jagrāha sahasā durnivāryaṃ sutejasām

Translation

แล้วท่ามกลางศึก พระมหีศานผู้ทรงมหาพละก็ทรงฉวยตรีศูลโดยฉับพลันเพื่อประหารเขา—อาวุธอันเจิดจ้า ยากยิ่งจะต้านทานได้।

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन — in battle

• महेशानः: Maheśāna
• महेशानः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन — Maheśāna (Śiva)

• तत्: of him/that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (genitival relation to next) — of that (him)

• वधाय: for the slaying
• वधाय: सम्प्रदान (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन — for killing/slaying

• महाबलः: mighty
• महाबलः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन — great-strong (महान् + बलः)

• शूलम्: the trident
• शूलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन — trident/spear

• जग्राह: seized
• जग्राह: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — seized/took

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (suddenly/at once)

• दुर्निवार्यम्: irresistible
• दुर्निवार्यम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-निवार्य (कृदन्त; √वृ (धातु) caus. √निवारय् + यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन — hard to ward off/irresistible (दुर्- उपसर्ग)

• सुतेजसाम्: of the very radiant (ones)
• सुतेजसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — of the radiant/very-splendid ones

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It portrays Saguna Śiva as Mahēśāna actively removing adharma: His irresistible trident symbolizes the Lord’s decisive grace that cuts through bondage and arrogance when they rise as opposition to dharma.

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

Though the Liṅga signifies the Supreme beyond form, this verse emphasizes the same Reality in compassionate form (Saguna Śiva) who protects devotees by destroying hostile forces—inviting devotees to worship both the transcendent Liṅga and the personal Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Śiva’s śūla as the power that pierces the three impurities (āṇava, karma, māyā) while repeating the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of impermanence and surrender.