Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4

बाणासुरस्य शङ्करस्तुतिः तथा युद्धयाचनम् | Bāṇāsura’s Praise of Śiva and Petition for Battle

Devanagari script

बाण उवाच । देवदेव महादेव सर्वदेवशिरोमणे । त्वत्प्रसादाद्बली चाहं शृणु मे परमं वचः

Transliteration

bāṇa uvāca | devadeva mahādeva sarvadevaśiromaṇe | tvatprasādādbalī cāhaṃ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

Bāṇa thưa: “Ôi Đấng Thần của các thần, ôi Mahādeva, bảo châu trên đỉnh đầu của muôn thần! Nhờ ân sủng của Ngài, con cũng trở nên hùng mạnh. Xin Ngài lắng nghe lời tối thượng của con.”

Word by Word

• बाण: Bāṇa
• बाण: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative Singular (प्रथमा एकवचन)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Singular

• देवदेव: O God of gods
• देवदेव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘god of gods’; Masculine, Vocative Singular (सम्बोधन एकवचन)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) proper epithet; Masculine, Vocative Singular

• सर्वदेवशिरोमणे: O crest-jewel of all gods
• सर्वदेवशिरोमणे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-deva-śiro-maṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘crest-jewel of all gods’; Masculine, Vocative Singular (सम्बोधन एकवचन)

• त्वत्प्रसादात्: from your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + prasāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘your grace’; Masculine, Ablative Singular (पञ्चमी एकवचन)

• बली: strong
• बली: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative Singular (प्रथमा एकवचन); predicate adjective to अहम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Nominative Singular (प्रथमा एकवचन)

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्, imperative), Parasmaipada, Madhyama-puruṣa, Singular

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive/Dative Singular (6th/षष्ठी or 4th/चतुर्थी एकवचन); here dative ‘to me’

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative Singular (द्वितीया एकवचन); adjective to वचः

• वचः: word/speech
• वचः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative Singular (द्वितीया एकवचन)

Speaker

Bāṇa (Banasura)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: devadeva mahādeva sarvadevaśiromaṇe | tvatprasādādbalī cāhaṃ śṛṇu me paramaṃ vacaḥ

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights Śiva as the supreme Lord (“God of gods”) and teaches a Shaiva Siddhānta-aligned principle: all capacity and power in the bound soul (paśu) ultimately arise through the Lord’s grace (Śiva-prasāda), not mere ego or self-effort.

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

Bāṇa addresses Śiva with personal epithets (Devadeva, Mahādeva), reflecting Saguna devotion—approaching the Lord as a compassionate, hearable, responsive deity. Such reverential address is the same devotional mood used in Liṅga worship, where the devotee seeks Śiva’s prasāda.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is prasāda-buddhi and humility in japa: repeat the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while mentally attributing all strength and success to Śiva’s grace, beginning any prayer by honoring Him as Devadeva and Mahādeva.