Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 46

शिवरूपदर्शनम्

Menā’s Vision of Śiva’s Divine Form

Devanagari script

कथास्तथाविधाश्शृण्वंस्तद्वामा वर्णिताश्शुभाः । प्रहृष्टोऽभूत्प्रभुः सर्वैर्मुने विष्ण्वादिभिस्तदा

Transliteration

kathāstathāvidhāśśṛṇvaṃstadvāmā varṇitāśśubhāḥ | prahṛṣṭo'bhūtprabhuḥ sarvairmune viṣṇvādibhistadā

Translation

اے مُنی، واما کے مبارک انداز میں بیان کردہ ایسی حکایات سن کر پربھو نہایت مسرور ہوئے؛ اسی وقت وِشنو وغیرہ تمام جمع شدہ دیوتا بھی خوشی سے بھر گئے۔

Word by Word

• kathāḥ: stories, accounts
• kathāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• tathā-vidhāḥ: of that kind, such
• tathā-vidhāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘तथैव विधाः’ = of such a kind

• śṛṇvan: hearing
• śṛṇvan: Karta (कर्ता/Agent of hearing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while hearing)

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (in tadvāmā)

• vāmāḥ: the lovely women
• vāmāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ताः वामाः (the lovely women)

• varṇitāḥ: described
• varṇitāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varṇ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘कथाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śubhāḥ: auspicious, beautiful
• śubhāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘कथाः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• prahṛṣṭaḥ: delighted
• prahṛṣṭaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√hṛṣ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhūt: became, was
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• prabhuḥ: the Lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarvaiḥ: by/with all
• sarvaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Instrumental-association)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘viṣṇvādibhiḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• mune: O sage
• mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• viṣṇu-ādibhiḥ: with Viṣṇu and others
• viṣṇu-ādibhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Instrumental-association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘विष्णुः आदिः येषां ते’ (ādi-group)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse depicts Śiva’s delight upon hearing auspicious narration by Vāmā in the presence of Viṣṇu and other devas; it is a courtly/assembly setting rather than a specific liṅga-sthala origin.

Significance: Models satsanga: hearing śiva-kathā in divine assembly is itself meritorious; for devotees, śravaṇa and kīrtana invite Śiva’s prasāda (anugraha).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Vāmā

FAQs

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

It highlights śravaṇa (devotional listening) to auspicious Śiva-kathā as a direct cause of inner joy and divine grace—when the Lord is pleased, the path toward liberation (mokṣa) becomes unobstructed.

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

The verse shows Saguna devotion in action: hearing and praising the Lord’s narrated līlā and virtues (kathā) is a core limb of worship, complementary to Liṅga-pūjā and mantra-japa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice regular śravaṇa of the Shiva Purana (or Śiva-stotras) with reverence, ideally alongside pañcākṣarī-japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as a daily devotional discipline.