Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 2

जलंधरयुद्धे मायाप्रयोगः — Jalandhara’s Māyā in the Battle with Śiva

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । अदृश्य गिरिजां तत्र दैत्येन्द्रे रणमागते । गांधर्वे च विलीने हि चैतन्योऽभूद्वृषध्वजः

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | adṛśya girijāṃ tatra daityendre raṇamāgate | gāṃdharve ca vilīne hi caitanyo'bhūdvṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Sanatkumāra nói: Khi Girijā (Pārvatī) không còn thấy ở đó, và khi chúa tể loài Dānavas đã bước vào chiến trận—thì quả thật, lúc vị Gandharva tan biến (mất dạng), Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, Đấng mang cờ có hình bò) liền tỉnh giác, hoàn toàn sáng suốt và cảnh tỉnh.

Word by Word

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya proper name “Sanat-kumāra”

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• adṛśya: not seeing, without seeing
• adṛśya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्) with negation a-
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय) “having not seen” (a- + dṛśya)

• girijām: Gिरिजा (Pārvatī)
• girijām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: girijā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (locative adverb/देशाव्यय)

• daitya-indre: in/when the demon-king
• daitya-indre: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daitya (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa “lord of the demons” used locatively: “when/while the demon-lord (was…)”

• raṇam-āgate: having come to battle
• raṇam-āgate: Adhikaraṇa (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ā-gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa “come to battle”; agrees with daityendre (locative absolute-like setting)

• gāndharve: in the Gandharva (form/realm)
• gāndharve: Adhikaraṇa (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāndharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction/समुच्चय)

• vilīne: having disappeared, dissolved
• vilīne: Adhikaraṇa (Circumstance/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-lī (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta PPP, Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; agrees with gāndharve: “when it had dissolved/vanished”

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle), emphasis

• caitanyaḥ: consciousness, awareness
• caitanyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caitanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• abhūt: became, arose
• abhūt: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (Aorist/लुङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)
• vṛṣa-dhvajaḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhvaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi epithet “he whose banner is the bull” = Śiva

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as caitanya (pure, sovereign awareness): when outer appearances shift (Pārvatī unseen, a form vanishing), the Lord’s conscious presence becomes manifest, indicating that divine awareness remains the governing reality behind changing forms.

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

Vṛṣadhvaja points to Saguna Śiva engaged in līlā and protection, while “caitanya” points to His inner nature as pure consciousness—mirroring Liṅga worship where a visible symbol leads the devotee to the formless, ever-aware Pati (Lord).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dhyāna on Śiva as caitanya while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), cultivating steady awareness amid changing circumstances—supported by Shaiva practices like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as reminders of Śiva-consciousness.