Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 17

गोत्र-प्रवर-प्रश्नः तथा तिथ्यादि-कीर्तनं

Gotra–Pravara Inquiry and Proclamation of Auspicious Time

Devanagari script

यस्यैकदिवसे शैल ब्रह्मकोटिर्लयं गता । स एव शङ्करस्तेद्य दृष्टः कालीतपोबलात

Transliteration

yasyaikadivase śaila brahmakoṭirlayaṃ gatā | sa eva śaṅkarastedya dṛṣṭaḥ kālītapobalāta

Translation

噢，山岳啊：在一日之中，亿万梵天皆于彼者之中融入寂灭（laya）；唯有他就是商羯罗（Śaṅkara）。今日你得见其身，皆因迦梨（Kālī）苦行之力。

Word by Word

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• एकदिवसे: in one day
• एकदिवसे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + दिवस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकः दिवसः)

• शैल: O mountain
• शैल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मकोटिः: a crore of Brahmās
• ब्रह्मकोटिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः कोटिः = ब्रह्माणां कोटिः/ब्रह्मकोटिः)

• लयम्: dissolution, destruction
• लयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गता: went/attained
• गता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘गता’ = प्राप्तवती

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphasis)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara
• शङ्करः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (enclitic)

• इद्य: praiseworthy, venerable
• इद्य: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (पाठभेदः सम्भवः—‘इद्य’ = स्तुत्य/पूज्य)

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (was seen)

• कालीतपोबलात्: due to the power of Kālī’s austerity
• कालीतपोबलात्: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली + तपस् + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (बल), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (काली-तपः-बलात् = कालीतपसः बलात्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: mahapralaya (implied by 'crores of Brahmās dissolve')

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Shankara)
• Brahma
• Himalaya (Shaila)
• Kali

FAQs

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

The verse proclaims Śiva as the supreme Pati (Lord) beyond cosmic cycles—so vast that even countless Brahmās dissolve within His time—yet He becomes directly knowable through grace awakened by sincere tapas and devotion (bhakti).

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

Although Śiva transcends creation and dissolution, He grants approachable Saguna darśana to devotees; this supports Linga-worship as a concrete, grace-filled means to relate to the transcendent Lord in ritual and contemplation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It highlights tapas supported by mantra-japa and focused devotion—practically expressed as daily worship of Śiva (Linga-pūjā), Panchākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and disciplined vows leading to inner steadiness and divine darśana.