Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 13

मङ्गलपत्रिकाग्रहणम् — Reception of the Auspicious Marriage Invitation

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । प्रीत्या शृणु मुनिश्रेष्ठ ह्यस्मत्तोऽद्य वदामि ते । ब्रुवे तत्त्वां प्रियो मे यद्भक्तराजशिरोमणिः

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | prītyā śṛṇu muniśreṣṭha hyasmatto'dya vadāmi te | bruve tattvāṃ priyo me yadbhaktarājaśiromaṇiḥ

Translation

湿婆说道：“以欢喜之心聆听吧，贤圣之最！今日我将亲自对你宣说。我将宣示真理，因为你为我所钟爱——实为众信徒之王中冠冕上的明珠。”

Word by Word

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Verb/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रीत्या: with affection
• प्रीत्या: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/भावे (with affection)

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मुनि-श्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनि-श्रेष्ठ: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः मुनिः)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतुबोधक

• अस्मत्-तः: from me
• अस्मत्-तः: अपादान (Apādāna/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; ‘from me/us’

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: अधिकरण (time-locative adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• वदामि: I speak
• वदामि: क्रिया (Verb/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (enclitic)

• ब्रुवे: I tell
• ब्रुवे: क्रिया (Verb/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्त्वाम्: the truth
• तत्त्वाम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रियः: dear
• प्रियः: विशेषण (of कर्ता/subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of भक्तराजशिरोमणिः)

• मे: to me / my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• यत्: because / that
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (relative connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative particle; correlating ‘because/that’)

• भक्त-राज-शिरोमणिः: the crest-jewel among the kings of devotees
• भक्त-राज-शिरोमणिः: कर्ता/वाक्यविषय (Subject complement: ‘(you are) the crest-jewel…’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + राज (प्रातिपदिक) + शिरोमणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भक्तानां राजः; तस्य शिरोमणिः)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse establishes the Shaiva principle that Śiva reveals tattva (saving truth) through grace to a qualified listener—one whose heart is softened by loving devotion (prīti) and steadfast bhakti.

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

By addressing the devotee as supremely dear, Śiva affirms Saguna worship as a valid and powerful means: loving attention to Śiva’s form, names, and līlā prepares the seeker to receive deeper truth (tattva) that the Linga ultimately signifies.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical cue is śravaṇa (devotional listening) with prīti—hearing Shiva-kathā or reciting the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with focused love; such attentive listening is treated as a direct sādhanā for receiving Śiva’s grace.