Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 3

वैवाहिकानुष्ठानसमापनं दानप्रशंसा च / Completion of Wedding Rites and Praise of Gifts

Dāna

Devanagari script

हृदयालम्भनं कर्म बभूव तदनन्तरम् । स्वस्तिपाठश्च विप्रेन्द्र महोत्सवपुरस्सरः

Transliteration

hṛdayālambhanaṃ karma babhūva tadanantaram | svastipāṭhaśca viprendra mahotsavapurassaraḥ

Translation

اس کے فوراً بعد دل کو مسرّت دینے والا ایک کرم انجام پایا۔ پھر، اے برہمنوں کے سردار، عظیم اُتسو کے پیش خیمہ کے طور پر سْوَستی پاٹھ کی تلاوت کی گئی۔

Word by Word

• hṛdaya-ālambhanam: a heart-cheering (act)
• hṛdaya-ālambhanam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदik) + ālambhana (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'hṛdayasya ālambhanam' = heart-supporting/heart-cheering act

• karma: rite / act
• karma: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; apposition to hṛdaya-ālambhanam

• babhūva: occurred
• babhūva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• tad-anantaram: immediately thereafter
• tad-anantaram: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदik) + anantara (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially; meaning 'immediately after that'

• svasti-pāṭhaḥ: the auspicious recitation (svasti)
• svasti-pāṭhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svasti (अव्यय/प्रातिपदik) + pāṭha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'svastyāḥ pāṭhaḥ' = recitation of auspicious benedictions

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• vipra-indra: O best of brāhmaṇas
• vipra-indra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra + indra (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'viprāṇām indraḥ' = best of brāhmaṇas

• mahotsava-purassaraḥ: preceded by a great festival
• mahotsava-purassaraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदik) + utsava (प्रातिपदik) + purassara (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'mahotsavaḥ puras-saraḥ yasya' (having a great festival in front/preceding) used as qualifier of svasti-pāṭhaḥ/karma

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: svasti-pāṭha (benedictory recitations)

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

FAQs

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

It highlights that Shaiva worship is approached through auspicious preparation—rites that purify the mind and gladden the heart—so devotion becomes a fit vessel for Shiva’s grace.

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

The verse describes the customary preliminaries (svasti-pāṭha and festival prelude) that sanctify the environment before formal Saguna worship such as Linga-pūjā, abhiṣeka, and mantra-recitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Performing svasti-pāṭha (benedictory Vedic-style recitations) as a preparatory rite—paired with a calm, joyful heart—before undertaking major Shiva observances and festivals.