Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37

गजासुरतपः–देवलोकक्षोभः

Gajāsura’s Austerities and the Disturbance of the Worlds

Devanagari script

यस्य मौलिजसंघर्षाद्घना व्योम त्यजंत्यपि । नीलिमानं न चाद्यापि जह्युस्तत्केशसंगजम्

Transliteration

yasya maulijasaṃgharṣādghanā vyoma tyajaṃtyapi | nīlimānaṃ na cādyāpi jahyustatkeśasaṃgajam

Translation

ด้วยการเสียดสีแห่งมงกุฎและเส้นผมของเขา แม้หมู่เมฆก็ละทิ้งท้องฟ้า; ทว่าเมฆเหล่านั้นยังไม่ละทิ้งความครามที่เกิดจากการสัมผัสเส้นผมของเขาจนถึงวันนี้

Word by Word

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha/Śeṣa (सम्बन्ध/शेष)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6), Singular

• mauli-ja-saṃgharṣāt: from the friction of his hair/topknot
• mauli-ja-saṃgharṣāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mauli (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgharṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular; समास: mauli-ja = तत्पुरुष 'born from the crown/head' (i.e., hair); mauli-ja-saṃgharṣa = तत्पुरुष 'friction of the crown-born (hair)'

• ghanāḥ: clouds
• ghanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural

• vyoma: the sky
• vyoma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular

• tyajanti: leave/abandon
• tyajanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Plural

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) meaning 'even/also'

• nīlimānam: blueness
• nīlimānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīlimān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2), Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle

• adyāpi: even now/still
• adyāpi: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय): 'even today/still now'

• jahyuḥ: abandoned/left
• jahyuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hā (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Plural

• tat-keśa-saṃga-jam: arising from contact with his hair
• tat-keśa-saṃga-jam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + keśa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃga (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular; समास: tat-keśa = षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष 'his hair'; keśa-saṃga = तत्पुरुष 'contact with hair'; keśa-saṃga-ja = तत्पुरुष 'born from contact with hair' (qualifies nīlimānam)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Mythic cosmography used to magnify the figure’s presence; for Siddhānta pedagogy, such grandeur still points beyond itself to the true Vibhu—Śiva—whose transcendence is not merely physical magnitude.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It poetically declares Shiva’s transcendence and immanence: even nature’s vastness (sky and clouds) is portrayed as marked by His presence, guiding the devotee to steady Shiva-smaraṇa (remembrance) as a means toward liberation.

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

Like the Liṅga, which is a visible support for contemplating the formless Pati (Shiva), this verse uses a visible cosmic sign (the blue hue) to anchor devotion to Saguna Shiva, leading the mind toward the Nirguna reality beyond all forms.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice Shiva-dhyāna while chanting the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), using the vast blue sky as a contemplative aid (ālambana) to stabilize awareness in Shiva-smaraṇa.