Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 41

प्रकृतितत्त्व-विचारः / Inquiry into Prakṛti (Nature/Śakti) and Śiva’s Transcendence

Devanagari script

काली सखीभ्यां सहिता प्रत्यहं चंद्रशेखरम् । सेवमाना महादेवं गमनागमने स्थिता

Transliteration

kālī sakhībhyāṃ sahitā pratyahaṃ caṃdraśekharam | sevamānā mahādevaṃ gamanāgamane sthitā

Translation

迦梨与两位侍伴相随，日日侍奉大天——月冠者旃陀罗舍迦罗。她常在往来奔走中，恒久守于侍奉之职。

Word by Word

• kālī: Kālī
• kālī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• sakhībhyām: with (her) two friends
• sakhībhyām: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• sahitā: accompanied
• sahitā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• prati-aham: every day
• prati-aham: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (adverbial compound): प्रति + अहम्/अहन् → प्रत्यहम्; कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• caṃdra-śekharam: Candraśekhara (Śiva)
• caṃdra-śekharam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caṃdra (प्रातिपदिक) + śekhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष—चन्द्रः शेखरः यस्य (epithet)

• sevamānā: serving/worshipping
• sevamānā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (सेव् धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी-धातु (serving)

• mahā-devam: Mahādeva
• mahā-devam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय—महान् देवः (the great god)

• gamana-āgamane: in going and coming
• gamana-āgamane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gamana (प्रातिपदिक) + āgamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): गमनं च आगमनं च; अधिकरणे सप्तमी (locative of sphere)

• sthitā: remained/was engaged
• sthitā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; स्थित्यर्थे (remaining/being engaged)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Mahadeva
• Chandrashekhara
• Kali

FAQs

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

The verse highlights nitya-sevā (daily devoted service) to Saguna Śiva—Mahādeva as Candraśekhara—showing that steady attendance and humble service are direct expressions of bhakti that purify the mind and align the devotee with Pati (Śiva) in Shaiva Siddhanta.

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

Although the Liṅga is not named here, the mood is the same as Liṅga-upāsanā: regular, consistent service to Śiva’s manifest form (Saguna)—through worship, attendance, and offerings—rather than merely occasional devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The implied practice is daily Śiva-sevā: consistent pūjā with remembrance of Śiva as Candraśekhara, ideally supported by mantra-japa (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as a steady, everyday discipline.