Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 13

अलकापतेः तपः-लिङ्गप्रतिष्ठा च वरप्राप्तिः / The Lord of Alakā: Austerity, Liṅga-Establishment, and the Receiving of a Boon

Devanagari script

उवाच देवदेवेशं मनोरथपदातिगम् । निजांघ्रिदर्शने नाथ दृक्सामर्थ्यं प्रयच्छ मे

Transliteration

uvāca devadeveśaṃ manorathapadātigam | nijāṃghridarśane nātha dṛksāmarthyaṃ prayaccha me

Translation

اس نے دیوتاؤں کے دیوتا، تمام آرزوؤں سے ماورا دیودیوِیش سے کہا—“اے ناتھ! اپنے مقدّس قدموں کے دیدار کے لیے مجھے قوتِ بصارت عطا فرما۔”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• देव-देव-ईशम्: the Lord of the gods
• देव-देव-ईशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मनोरथ-पद-अतिगम्: one who surpasses the state/goal of desires
• मनोरथ-पद-अतिगम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोरथ (प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अतिग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying देवदेवेशम्)

• निज-अङ्घ्रि-दर्शने: in (the act of) seeing your own feet
• निज-अङ्घ्रि-दर्शने: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्घ्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाथ: O Lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दृक्-सामर्थ्यम्: power of sight/vision-capacity
• दृक्-सामर्थ्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रयच्छ: grant/give
• प्रयच्छ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपदम्

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th) एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

Speaker

A devotee/supplicant addressing Lord Shiva (within the Sṛṣṭi Khaṇḍa dialogue; speaker not explicitly named in the snippet)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The request for ‘dṛk-sāmarthya’ to behold the Lord’s feet is a classic grace-motif rather than a site legend; it mirrors pilgrimage ethos where the goal is pāda-darśana (humble proximity) rather than worldly boons.

Significance: Frames the highest ‘vara’ as capacity for sacred perception—anugraha that transforms the paśu’s limited faculties into fit instruments for darśana.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse frames liberation-oriented devotion as a request for transformed perception: the devotee asks not for worldly boons, but for spiritual capacity to behold Śiva’s feet—symbolizing refuge in Pati (the Lord) and grace that loosens pāśa (bondage).

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

It emphasizes Saguna-bhakti and darśana: whether one worships the Liṅga as Śiva’s accessible form or meditates on His embodied presence, the goal is Śiva’s grace granting inner vision to truly ‘see’ Him beyond ordinary sense-perception.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dhyāna and japa aimed at darśana—especially Panchākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with focused contemplation on Śiva’s lotus feet—seeking purified sight (dṛk) through devotion, restraint, and worship.