Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 17

शिवस्य तपोऽनुष्ठानम् — Śiva’s Austerity and Meditation at Himavat

Gaṅgā-Region

Devanagari script

विष्णुब्रह्मादिसेव्याय विष्णुब्रह्मस्वरूपिणे । विष्णुब्रह्मकदात्रे ते भक्तप्रिय नमोऽस्तु ते

Transliteration

viṣṇubrahmādisevyāya viṣṇubrahmasvarūpiṇe | viṣṇubrahmakadātre te bhaktapriya namo'stu te

Translation

Đảnh lễ Ngài—Đấng được cả Viṣṇu, Brahmā và chư thiên khác phụng thờ; đảnh lễ Ngài—Đấng mang chính hình tướng của Viṣṇu và Brahmā; đảnh lễ Ngài—Đấng ban cho Viṣṇu và Brahmā các chức phận cùng quyền năng của họ. Ôi Đấng được người mộ đạo yêu kính, xin nhận nơi con lời chí kính.

Word by Word

• विष्णुब्रह्मादिसेव्याय: to Him who is to be served by Vishnu, Brahma, and others
• विष्णुब्रह्मादिसेव्याय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + ब्रह्म + आदि + सेव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः: (विष्णु-ब्रह्म-आदि)-सेव्य; ‘सेव्य’ = सेव् (धातु) + यत् (gerundive) ‘to be served’; चतुर्थी-सम्प्रदानार्थः

• विष्णुब्रह्मस्वरूपिणे: to Him whose form is Vishnu and Brahma
• विष्णुब्रह्मस्वरूपिणे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + ब्रह्म + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णु-ब्रह्मणोः स्वरूपं यस्य/स्वरूपिन्)

• विष्णुब्रह्मकदात्रे: to the giver (bestower) of Vishnu and Brahma
• विष्णुब्रह्मकदात्रे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + ब्रह्म + क + दातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; दातृ = ‘giver’; ‘क’ here taken as indeclinable particle within compound per transmitted reading (कदात्रे)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; enclitic form

• भक्तप्रिय: dear to devotees
• भक्तप्रिय: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सम्बोधनार्थेऽपि प्रथमा-रूपप्रयोगः); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भक्तानां प्रियः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक (salutatory particle)

• अस्तु: may it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive usage), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; विधिलिङ्गार्थे ‘let it be’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन; enclitic form

Speaker

Parvati (as a devotee offering praise to Lord Shiva in the Parvati Khanda context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: विष्णुब्रह्मादिसेव्याय विष्णुब्रह्मस्वरूपिणे । विष्णुब्रह्मकदात्रे ते भक्तप्रिय नमोऽस्तु ते

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Brahma

FAQs

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

The verse affirms Shiva as Pati—the Supreme Lord—who is worshipped even by Vishnu and Brahma, and who grants them their cosmic roles; devotion (bhakti) to such a Lord becomes a direct means toward grace and liberation.

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

By praising Shiva as the personal, approachable Lord who is “bhakta-priya,” the verse supports Saguna-upasana—worship of Shiva with attributes—commonly expressed in Linga worship, where the Supreme is adored in a consecrated, accessible form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is stotra-japa and nama-smarana: reciting such salutations with the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while offering water, bilva leaves, or vibhuti (Tripundra) in a devotional mood.