Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 9

शिवानुकम्पा, ब्रह्मणो निर्भयत्वं च (Śiva’s Compassion and Brahmā’s Fearlessness)

Devanagari script

यावदेवमहं स्वं कं स्पृशामि निजपाणिना । तावत्तत्र स्थितं सद्यस्तद्रूपवृषवाहनम्

Transliteration

yāvadevamahaṃ svaṃ kaṃ spṛśāmi nijapāṇinā | tāvattatra sthitaṃ sadyastadrūpavṛṣavāhanam

Translation

“Chừng nào ta còn chạm vào thân mình bằng chính bàn tay này, trong đúng khoảng thời gian ấy, ngay tại đó liền hiện đứng Đấng mang cờ bò—Śiva, bậc cưỡi bò—hiển lộ đúng y như hình tướng ấy.”

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as/when
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, यावत्तावद्-सम्बन्धसूचक (Correlative: as long as)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (Emphatic particle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वम्: my own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘कम्’

• कम्: (my) head
• कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; elliptic for ‘head’ per context

• स्पृशामि: I touch
• स्पृशामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निजपाणिना: with (my) own hand
• निजपाणिना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समास: निज + पाणि (कर्मधारय)

• तावत्: then/so long
• तावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय, यावत्तावद्-सम्बन्धसूचक (Correlative: then/so long)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (Adverb of place: there)

• स्थितम्: stood/was present
• स्थितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/स्थित्यर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective of implied subject (‘तद्रूपवृषवाहनम्’)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (Adverb: immediately)

• तद्रूपवृषवाहनम्: the bull-vehicle (Nandin) in that very form
• तद्रूपवृषवाहनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + रूप + वृष + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: तद् + रूप (तत्पुरुष) + वृषवाहन (तत्पुरुष: ‘bull as vehicle’)

Speaker

Sati (as narrated within Suta Goswami’s discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Nandi

FAQs

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

It teaches Śiva’s ānugraha (grace): to a devoted heart, the Lord is not distant—His presence becomes immediate and tangible, revealing the Saguna form that answers bhakti in the moment.

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

The verse emphasizes manifest presence (Saguna) arising instantly for the devotee; in Śaiva practice, the Liṅga is likewise the accessible, worship-worthy form through which the formless Lord is approached and experienced.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Single-pointed remembrance with touch-awareness (sparśa-bhāvanā)—mentally invoking Śiva while staying mindful of the body—supports immediate devotional absorption; it aligns naturally with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and simple pūjā to a Liṅga.