Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 30

मेना-शिवदर्शन-प्रस्थानम् | Menā’s Quest to Behold Śiva

Departure for Śiva’s Darśana

Devanagari script

तन्मध्ये चैव वागीशं दृष्ट्वा सा प्राह मेनका । रुद्रोऽयं गिरिजास्वामी तदा नेति त्वमब्रवीः

Transliteration

tanmadhye caiva vāgīśaṃ dṛṣṭvā sā prāha menakā | rudro'yaṃ girijāsvāmī tadā neti tvamabravīḥ

Translation

梅那迦在众人之中见到婆吉沙，便说道：“此人正是鲁陀罗，吉利迦（帕尔瓦蒂）之主。”但当时你却回答：“不，他不是。”

Word by Word

• तत्: in that
• तत्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• वागीशम्: Vāgīśa (lord of speech)
• वागीशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक् + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वाचः ईशः = lord of speech)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having seen)

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मेनका: Menakā
• मेनका: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि प्रथमा (proper noun)

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: विशेषण (Appositive/Deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गिरिजास्वामी: lord of Girijā (Pārvatī)
• गिरिजास्वामी: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिजा + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गिरिजायाः स्वामी = lord of Girijā)

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री (common), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अब्रवीः: said/spoke
• अब्रवीः: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Parvati Khanda dialogue to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Parvati (Girija)
• Menaka
• Vagisha

FAQs

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

The verse highlights recognition of Rudra as the supreme Pati (Lord) who is inseparable from Śakti (Girijā). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it points to the soul’s need to correctly discern the Lord’s presence even when the divine appears in an unexpected form.

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

It supports Saguna-upāsanā: devotees approach Shiva through identifiable forms and names (Rudra, Girijāsvāmī). Just as the Liṅga is a tangible focus for realizing the transcendent, recognizing Rudra in narrative form trains the mind to see the Lord’s nearness in manifest signs.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa with the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating steady recognition (smaraṇa) of Shiva as Pati. Pairing japa with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa can reinforce Shaiva identity and remembrance.