Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 21

कुमाराभिषेकवर्णनम् — Description of Kumāra’s Abhiṣeka

Consecration/Installation

Devanagari script

ये तं समीक्षयामासुर्गागेयं शंकरोपमम् । ददृशुस्ते महत्तेजो व्याप्तमासीज्जगत्त्रये

Transliteration

ye taṃ samīkṣayāmāsurgāgeyaṃ śaṃkaropamam | dadṛśuste mahattejo vyāptamāsījjagattraye

Translation

Khi họ chiêm ngưỡng người con của Gaṅgā—tựa như chính Śaṅkara—họ thấy một hào quang thần diệu rộng lớn, lan tỏa khắp ba cõi.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun referring to apsarases/observers

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; refers to the boy/Skanda

• समीक्षयामासुः: looked at / observed
• समीक्षयामासुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्-परस्मैपद; आम्-प्रत्यय with auxiliary), 3rd person, Plural

• गागेयम्: Gāgeya (a name/epithet)
• गागेयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गागेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; patronymic/epithet (of Gaṅgā/Agni lineage per context)

• शंकरोपमम्: like Śaṅkara
• शंकरोपमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तृतीया/उपमान: ‘शंकर-सदृशम्’); Masculine, Accusative, Singular; qualifies ‘गागेयम्/तम्’

• ददृशुः: saw
• ददृशुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Plural; parasmaipada

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Nominative, Plural; ‘they’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; agrees with ‘तेजः’

• तेजः: splendor
• तेजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• व्याप्तम्: pervading / spread out
• व्याप्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + आप् (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta PPP (क्त) from √आप्/√व्याप् ‘to pervade’; Neuter, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective of ‘तेजः’

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada

• जगत्-त्रये: in the three worlds
• जगत्-त्रये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu compound (numeral determinative: ‘त्रीणि जगन्ति’); Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; locus of pervasion

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kartikeya
• Ganga

FAQs

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

It proclaims the Shiva-tattva reflected in Skanda: the Lord’s grace manifests as world-pervading tejas, reminding devotees that divine consciousness can appear in a personal (saguṇa) form while remaining all-pervasive.

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

The all-pervading radiance points to the Linga’s symbolism (Shiva as limitless light), while “Shankara-like” describes a saguṇa manifestation that devotees can contemplate—linking form-based devotion to the formless, boundless reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva’s tejas as a column of light in the heart while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”); optionally apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of Shiva’s all-pervading purity.