Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 8

पार्वतीवाक्यं—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्व-निरूपणम्

Pārvatī’s Discourse: Establishing Śiva as Parabrahman

Devanagari script

वेदा उच्छ्वासरूपेण पुरा दत्ताश्च विष्णवे । शंभुना तेन कल्पादौ तत्समः कोऽस्ति सुप्रभुः

Transliteration

vedā ucchvāsarūpeṇa purā dattāśca viṣṇave | śaṃbhunā tena kalpādau tatsamaḥ ko'sti suprabhuḥ

Translation

Thuở xưa, các Veda—hiện như chính hơi thở của Śambhu—đã được ban cho Viṣṇu. Vì thế, vào buổi đầu của một kalpa, ai có thể sánh bằng Đấng Chúa Tể Śambhu rực rỡ tối thượng ấy?

Word by Word

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• उच्छ्वासरूपेण: in the form of (his) exhalation
• उच्छ्वासरूपेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छ्वास (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उच्छ्वासस्य रूपेण = in the form of breath)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb: formerly)

• दत्ताः: given
• दत्ताः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (वेदाः ... दत्ताः = the Vedas were given)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• विष्णवे: to Viṣṇu
• विष्णवे: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• शंभुना: by Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुना: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (refers to Śambhu)

• कल्पादौ: at the beginning of the kalpa
• कल्पादौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (आदि-शब्देन सह: locative of time/place)

• तत्समः: equal to him
• तत्समः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (तत्-सम = equal to him)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सुप्रभुः: the great Lord
• सुप्रभुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संज्ञा/विशेष्य; कर्मधारय (सु-प्रभुः = very mighty lord)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-ādau (beginning of an aeon)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Vedas
• Shambhu

FAQs

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

It declares that the Vedas originate from Śiva Himself—like His breath—so all sacred knowledge and liberation-oriented dharma ultimately rest on Śiva (Pati) as the supreme source.

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

If the Vedas arise from Śiva, then Vedic worship of Śiva—especially through the Śiva-liṅga as His accessible saguna symbol—stands affirmed as a valid, authoritative path grounded in revelation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Veda-aligned japa and worship of Śiva—especially pañcākṣarī mantra japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with liṅga-pūjā—seeking knowledge and grace from the very source of the Vedas.