Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 7

गिरिजातपः-परीक्षा तथा सप्तर्षि-आह्वानम्

Girijā’s Austerity-Test and the Summoning of the Seven Sages

Devanagari script

समाधेश्चलितस्सोऽभूद्भक्ताधीनोऽपि नान्यथा । वसिष्ठादीन्मुनीन्सप्त सस्मार सूतिकृद्धरः

Transliteration

samādheścalitasso'bhūdbhaktādhīno'pi nānyathā | vasiṣṭhādīnmunīnsapta sasmāra sūtikṛddharaḥ

Translation

虽安住于三摩地之中，他仍被触动而出定——并非因他事，唯因奉爱（bhakti），因为他恒常应允奉献者。于是那大能者、除苦者，忆念起以婆悉吒为首的七位圣仙。

Word by Word

• samādheḥ: from meditation
• samādheḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी एकवचन; अत्र पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान) ‘from samādhi’

• calitaḥ: was moved
• calitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cal (धातु) + kta (क्त) → calita (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (Past Participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘moved/roused’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• abhūt: became / was
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• bhakta-adhīnaḥ: dependent on devotees
• bhakta-adhīnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (bhakteṣu adhīnaḥ / bhaktānām adhīnaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (saḥ)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• vasiṣṭha-ādīn: Vasiṣṭha and others
• vasiṣṭha-ādīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (vasiṣṭhaḥ ādiḥ yeṣām), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘Vasiṣṭha and others’

• munīn: sages
• munīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; vasiṣṭhādīn इत्यस्य विशेष्य

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक, अव्ययवत्/विशेषण; द्वितीया बहुवचनार्थे (munīn)

• sasmāra: remembered / called to mind
• sasmāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sūti-kṛt: the one who causes/arranges the birth (delivery)
• sūti-kṛt: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūti (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृ धातु-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (sūtiṃ karoti iti), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (haraḥ)

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vasistha
• Seven Sages (Saptarishis)

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva, though supremely transcendent and absorbed in samādhi, freely turns toward the devotee out of grace—showing Pati (the Lord) as compassionate and accessible through bhakti.

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

The verse highlights Saguna Śiva’s gracious responsiveness: the same Lord worshipped as the Liṅga is not an impersonal principle only, but a personal deity who answers devotion and guides devotees through sages and dharma.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It implies steadiness in dhyāna (meditation) joined with bhakti—supported by Shaiva practices like japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and guru/sage-guided discipline, since Śiva ‘remembers’ and sends guidance through realized ṛṣis.