Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 33

विदलोत्पलदैत्ययोरुत्पत्तिः देवपराजयः ब्रह्मोपदेशः नारदप्रेषणम्

Vidalotpala Daityas, Defeat of the Devas, Brahmā’s Counsel, and Nārada’s Mission

Devanagari script

कंदुकेश्वरलिंगं च काश्यां दुष्टनिबर्हणम् । भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदं सर्वकामदं सर्वदा सताम्

Transliteration

kaṃdukeśvaraliṃgaṃ ca kāśyāṃ duṣṭanibarhaṇam | bhuktimuktipradaṃ sarvakāmadaṃ sarvadā satām

Translation

Tại Kāśī có Liṅga Kāṃdukeśvara, đấng diệt trừ kẻ ác. Ngài ban cả phúc lạc thế gian (bhukti) lẫn giải thoát (mukti), và hằng ban mọi sở nguyện cho các bậc hiền thiện sùng kính.

Word by Word

• कन्दुकेश्वरलिङ्गम्: the Kaṇḍukeśvara liṅga
• कन्दुकेश्वरलिङ्गम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्दुक-ईश्वर-लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (कन्दुकेश्वरस्य लिङ्गम्)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दुष्टनिबर्हणम्: destroyer of the wicked
• दुष्टनिबर्हणम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट + निबर्हण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दुष्टानां निबर्हणम्)

• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदम्: giver of enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति + मुक्ति + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (भुक्तिः च मुक्तिः) + तत्पुरुष (तयोः प्रदः)

• सर्वकामदम्: bestower of all desires
• सर्वकामदम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सर्वान् कामान् ददाति)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: always)

• सताम्: of the good (people)
• सताम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘सत्’ = सज्जन/साधु

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the tīrtha-māhātmya to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya within the Rudrasaṃhitā context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī is celebrated as Śiva’s own city; within that sacred geography this verse praises the Kāṃdukeśvara-liṅga as a kṣetra-liṅga that destroys wickedness and grants both bhukti and mukti to the sādhus.

Significance: Darśana/arcana is said to remove pāpa and obstacles (duṣṭa-nibarhaṇa) and to grant both worldly fulfillment and liberation—typical Kāśī-phala combining artha/kāma with mokṣa.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kāṃdukeśvara
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

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

The verse presents the Kāṃdukeśvara Liṅga in Kāśī as a compassionate yet disciplining presence of Pati (Śiva): it removes adharmic tendencies (“the wicked”) and grants both bhukti (rightful worldly flourishing) and mukti (liberation) to sincere, virtuous devotees.

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

It affirms the Liṅga as Saguna Śiva’s accessible form in a sacred kṣetra (Kāśī), where worship—offering, mantra, and reverence—yields tangible fruits (sarvakāma) and the highest fruit (mokṣa), showing the Liṅga as a bridge from worldly aims to liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is regular Liṅga-pūjā in Kāśī (or mentally, with devotion): abhiṣeka with water, bilva offerings, and japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” seeking purification of conduct and the twin grace of bhukti and mukti.