Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 12

Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)

Devanagari script

शर्वो रुद्रो नमस्तस्मै पुरुषः सत्परो महान् । हिरण्यबाहुर्भगवान्हिरण्यपतिरीश्वरः

Transliteration

śarvo rudro namastasmai puruṣaḥ satparo mahān | hiraṇyabāhurbhagavānhiraṇyapatirīśvaraḥ

Translation

ขอนอบน้อมแด่พระรุทระ—พระศรวะ—ผู้เป็นปรมบุรุษอันยิ่งใหญ่ ตั้งมั่นในสัจจะ พระองค์เป็นภควานผู้มีกรทอง เป็นเจ้าแห่งสิริและความมั่งคั่งทั้งปวง เป็นปรเมศวร

Word by Word

• śarvaḥ: Śarva
• śarvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to śarvaḥ

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana-prayoga (Salutation/सम्बोधनप्रयोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya-like usage of neuter noun ‘namas’ as interjection (नमः-प्रयोग), expressing salutation

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (Recipient/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Caturthī vibhakti (Dative/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana

• puruṣaḥ: the Person
• puruṣaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• sat-paraḥ: supreme (in truth/goodness)
• sat-paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘sat + para’ (supreme in/over the good/true); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• mahān: great
• mahān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; irregular stem mahat

• hiraṇya-bāhuḥ: the golden-armed one
• hiraṇya-bāhuḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘golden-armed’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• hiraṇya-patiḥ: lord of gold
• hiraṇya-patiḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘lord of gold’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord
• īśvaraḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: śarvo rudro namastasmai puruṣaḥ satparo mahān | hiraṇyabāhurbhagavānhiraṇyapatirīśvaraḥ

Type: rudram

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse is a stuti that identifies Rudra (Śiva) as the Supreme Puruṣa and Īśvara—Pati over all—affirming that liberation comes by turning to Him as the highest Reality (Sat) and offering reverent surrender (namaḥ).

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

By praising Śiva through His sacred names (Śarva, Rudra, Īśvara), the verse supports saguna-upāsanā—devotional worship of the Lord with attributes—which in Shiva Purana practice commonly culminates in Linga worship as the accessible form of the Supreme.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple practice is nāma-japa and stotra-pāṭha: repeat “namaḥ” with Rudra’s names (e.g., Śarva, Rudra, Īśvara) alongside the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” especially during Mahāśivarātri or daily sandhyā worship.