Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 36

दक्षस्य तपः तथा जगदम्बायाः प्रत्यक्षता — Dakṣa’s Austerities and the Direct Manifestation of Jagadambā

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच एवमुक्त्वा महेशानी दक्षं मुख्यप्रजापतिम् । अंतर्दधे द्रुतं तत्र सम्यग् दक्षस्य पश्यतः

Transliteration

brahmovāca evamuktvā maheśānī dakṣaṃ mukhyaprajāpatim | aṃtardadhe drutaṃ tatra samyag dakṣasya paśyataḥ

Translation

Phạm Thiên nói: Nói xong như vậy với Dakṣa, bậc tối thượng trong các Prajāpati, Mahēśānī (Satī), ngay khi Dakṣa còn đang nhìn thấy rõ, liền tức khắc ẩn mất khỏi nơi ấy.

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect, लिट्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• uktvā: having spoken
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + tvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), avyaya; prior action

• maheśānī: Maheśānī (Pārvatī/Satī)
• maheśānī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

• dakṣam: Dakṣa
• dakṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana

• mukhya-prajāpatim: the chief Prajāpati
• mukhya-prajāpatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक) + prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: 'chief' + 'Prajāpati'; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; apposition to dakṣam

• antardadhe: disappeared
• antardadhe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धातु) with antar- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect, लिट्), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana, Ātmanepada; 'antar-dhā' = to disappear

• drutam: quickly
• drutam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: druta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; locative adverb

• samyak: properly/clearly
• samyak: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• dakṣasya: of Dakṣa
• dakṣasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive, 6th), Ekavacana

• paśyataḥ: while (he) was seeing
• paśyataḥ: Sati-saptamī/Genitive absolute (भावे)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paś (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-pratyaya present participle (शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti, Ekavacana; genitive absolute sense with dakṣasya

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: anugraha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Sati
• Daksha

FAQs

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

Satī’s sudden disappearance signifies divine withdrawal (antardhāna) from ego-driven authority: when pride and disrespect toward Śiva arise, grace does not remain accessible, and the soul is left to face the fruit of its own attitude.

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

Maheśānī is inseparable from Maheśvara; her vanishing underscores that honoring Saguna Śiva (and Śiva’s sacred forms such as the Liṅga) requires reverence and humility—without that, devotional connection becomes obscured.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is daily humility-based japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with inner restraint (saṃyama), avoiding contempt and cultivating reverence—so that devotion remains steady and grace is not ‘withdrawn’ by one’s own ego.