Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 34

शिवतेजसः समुद्रे बालरूपप्रादुर्भावः (Śiva’s Tejas Manifesting as a Child in the Ocean)

Devanagari script

कालनेम्यसुरो वीरोऽसुराणां प्रवरस्सुधीः । साधु येनेम्बुधेर्याञ्चां स्वकर्मनिपुणो मुने

Transliteration

kālanemyasuro vīro'surāṇāṃ pravarassudhīḥ | sādhu yenembudheryāñcāṃ svakarmanipuṇo mune

Translation

Hỡi hiền giả, A-tu-la Kālanemi dũng mãnh—bậc đứng đầu trong loài A-tu-la và thật sự trí tuệ—tinh thông mưu lược của mình; nhờ tài ấy, ông khéo tìm đường vượt biển.

Word by Word

• कालनेमि-असुरः: Kālanemi, the asura
• कालनेमि-असुरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालनेमि (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘कालनेमिः (एव) असुरः’

• वीरः: heroic
• वीरः: Karta-anvayi Viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असुराणाम्: of the asuras
• असुराणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• प्रवरः: the foremost
• प्रवरः: Karta-anvayi Viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (excellent/chief)

• सुधीः: wise
• सुधीः: Karta-anvayi Viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुधी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; इकारान्त; ‘good-minded/wise’

• साधु: well
• साधु: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय/शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रशंसार्थक/सम्यगर्थक (well; good)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक ‘by which/whereby’

• अम्बुधेः: of Ambudhi
• अम्बुधेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• याञ्चाम्: the request
• याञ्चाम्: Karma (कर्म; object of implied ‘fulfilled/accepted’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याञ्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘request/asking’

• स्व-कर्म-निपुणः: skilled in his own work
• स्व-कर्म-निपुणः: Karta-anvayi Viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + निपुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘स्वे कर्मणि निपुणः’ (skilled in his own duty/work)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi

FAQs

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

It highlights that worldly intelligence and heroism can exist even in Asuric beings, yet such skill—when driven by ego and opposition to dharma—does not become liberating wisdom; in Shaiva thought, true uplift comes from turning the mind toward Pati (Shiva), not merely mastering tactics.

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

By contrast: the verse depicts reliance on personal capability and planning, whereas Saguna Shiva worship (Linga-upasana) emphasizes surrender, purification, and grace—transforming the doer-centered attitude into devotion-centered practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to replace doer-pride with Shiva-smaraṇa: steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and Tripuṇḍra-bhasma dhāraṇa as daily reminders that true crossing of the ‘ocean’ of saṃsāra comes through Shiva’s grace and inner discipline.