Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 25

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

कोटिकोटिसहस्राणां शतैर्विंशतिभिर्वृताः । तत्र जग्मुश्च नन्द्याद्या गणपाश्शंकरोत्सवे

Transliteration

koṭikoṭisahasrāṇāṃ śatairviṃśatibhirvṛtāḥ | tatra jagmuśca nandyādyā gaṇapāśśaṃkarotsave

Translation

又有无量无数的湿婆伽那众，由难陀丁（Nandin）为首，周围簇拥着百与二十之“俱胝”叠“俱胝”的千千万万，也前往彼处，参加圣主商羯罗的大庆典。

Word by Word

• कोटि-कोटि-सहस्राणाम्: of crores upon crores of thousands
• कोटि-कोटि-सहस्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation; with śataiḥ/viṃśatibhiḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन (Plural); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (crores and crores and thousands)

• शतैः: by hundreds
• शतैः: करण (Karaṇa; ‘surrounded by’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (Plural)

• विंशतिभिः: by twenties
• विंशतिभिः: करण (Karaṇa; ‘surrounded by’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); बहुवचन (Plural)

• वृताः: surrounded
• वृताः: कर्तृविशेषण/विधेय (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: क्रिया (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• नन्दि-आद्याः: Nandi and others
• नन्दि-आद्याः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural); आदि-तत्पुरुष (Nandi and others)

• गणपाः: gaṇa-leaders
• गणपाः: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to nandyādyāḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गणप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); बहुवचन (Plural)

• शंकर-उत्सवे: at Śaṅkara’s festival
• शंकर-उत्सवे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Occasion-location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (festival of Śaṅkara)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Nandi
• Ganas
• Shankara

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva’s cosmic sovereignty: innumerable gaṇa-hosts gather effortlessly for Śaṅkara’s festival, showing that all powers and beings revolve around Pati (Śiva) when devotion (bhakti) and auspiciousness (maṅgala) are present.

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

A Śaṅkarotsava is a Saguna-centered celebration—devotees approach Śiva through worshipful forms, processions, and praise; the gaṇas led by Nandi represent the divine retinue that protects and magnifies such public worship of Śiva, often centered on the Liṅga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Participating in Śiva-utsava with disciplined devotion—chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), offering bilva leaves, and maintaining purity with bhasma (tripuṇḍra) remembrance—aligns the mind with Śiva’s auspicious presence.