Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 56

गणसमागमः (Śiva Summons the Gaṇas for the Great Festival)

Devanagari script

एभिस्समेतैस्सफलैमहर्षिभिर्बभौ महेशो बहुशोत्यलंकृतः । हिमालयाह्वस्य धरस्य संव्रजन् पाणिग्रहार्थं सदनं शिवायाः

Transliteration

ebhissametaissaphalaimaharṣibhirbabhau maheśo bahuśotyalaṃkṛtaḥ | himālayāhvasya dharasya saṃvrajan pāṇigrahārthaṃ sadanaṃ śivāyāḥ

Translation

在那些携带吉祥供品的大圣贤（Mahāṛṣi）陪同下，大自在天（Maheśa）多方庄严装饰，光辉熠熠。前往名为喜马拉雅的山王之居所，他是为行那神圣之礼——在婚仪中执取圣女湿婆（Śivā）之手。

Word by Word

• ebhiḥ: with these
• ebhiḥ: Sahakārī (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana; pronoun ‘with/by these’

• sametaiḥ: assembled
• sametaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘ebhiḥ’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-i (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana; ‘assembled/come together’

• saphalaiḥ: with fruits (offerings)
• saphalaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (phala-sahita = with fruits/results)

• maharṣibhiḥ: with great sages
• maharṣibhiḥ: Sahakārī (Accompaniment/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Bahuvacana

• babhau: shone/appeared splendid
• babhau: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhā (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect/लिट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; Parasmaipada

• maheśaḥ: Maheśa
• maheśaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; समासः—कर्मधारयः (mahān īśaḥ)

• bahuśaḥ: many times / greatly
• bahuśaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahuśas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ati-alaṃkṛtaḥ: highly adorned
• ati-alaṃkṛtaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + alaṃkṛta (alaṃ-kṛ धातु + kta कृत्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; kta-kridanta ‘adorned’; ati- as intensifier (अतिशय)

• himālaya-āhvasya: of (the one) named Himālaya
• himālaya-āhvasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: himālaya (प्रातिपदिक) + āhva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (himālaya-āhva = named Himālaya)

• dharasya: of the mountain/holder (king of mountains)
• dharasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• saṃvrajan: proceeding
• saṃvrajan: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Concomitant action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-vraj (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; ‘proceeding/going’

• pāṇi-graha-artham: for the purpose of marriage (hand-taking)
• pāṇi-graha-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + graha (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable) formed with -artham (अर्थम्) expressing purpose; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (pāṇigrahasya artham)

• sadanam: to the abode/house
• sadanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana

• śivāyāḥ: of Śivā (Pārvatī)
• śivāyāḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śivā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Kedāranātha

Sthala Purana: Though this verse is set at Himālaya’s abode for Śiva–Pārvatī pāṇigraha, the Himalayan marriage-līlā is often thematically linked in later pilgrimage imagination to Kedāra as Śiva’s Himalayan seat; not a direct Jyotirliṅga etiology in this chapter.

Significance: Himalayan Śiva-kṣetra ideal: pilgrimage symbolizes ascent from pāśa (bondage) toward Śiva’s anugraha; Kedāra is famed for purification and liberation-oriented devotion.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Himalaya
• Maharishis

FAQs

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

The verse portrays Mahādeva as the Pati (Supreme Lord) who freely assumes a beautiful, auspicious form (saguṇa) for divine play and grace; His journey to Himālaya for pāṇigrahaṇa signifies the union of Śiva (Consciousness) and Śivā (His inseparable Śakti), the harmonious ground for dharma and liberation.

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

Though the Liṅga points to the formless Absolute, this episode highlights the same Reality appearing as saguṇa Mahesha—adorned and approachable—so devotees can contemplate His līlā and cultivate bhakti; both Liṅga-worship and devotion to Śiva’s personal form converge in honoring Him as Pati, the giver of grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to perform auspicious offering (naivedya/phala) and japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—while meditating on Śiva’s benevolent, marriage-bestowing form (kalyāṇa-svarūpa), seeking inner union of consciousness and śakti.