Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12

पार्वत्याः यात्रासंस्कारः तथा पातिव्रत्योपदेशः / Preparations for Girijā’s Auspicious Journey and the Teaching on Pātivratya

Devanagari script

संज्ञा च सुमतिश्श्रद्धा मेना स्वाहा तथैव च । अन्या बह्व्योऽपि साध्व्यो हि नोक्ता विस्तरजाद्भयात्

Transliteration

saṃjñā ca sumatiśśraddhā menā svāhā tathaiva ca | anyā bahvyo'pi sādhvyo hi noktā vistarajādbhayāt

Translation

娑ṃjñā、苏摩提（Sumati）、室罗陀（Śraddhā）、梅那（Menā），以及同样的娑婆诃（Svāhā）——这些贤德女子已被点名。其余尚有许多贞善之女，因恐叙述过于繁长，故不再详说。

Word by Word

• saṃjñā: Saṃjñā
• saṃjñā: Karta (कर्ता/subject—list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction

• sumatiḥ: Sumati
• sumatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject—list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name

• śraddhā: Śraddhā
• śraddhā: Karta (कर्ता/subject—list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name

• menā: Menā
• menā: Karta (कर्ता/subject—list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: menā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name

• svāhā: Svāhā
• svāhā: Karta (कर्ता/subject—list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name (also used as exclamation in other contexts)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), emphatic particle

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction

• anyāḥ: others
• anyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; used substantively ‘others’

• bahvyaḥ: many
• bahvyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (also/even)

• sādhvyaḥ: virtuous women
• sādhvyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; ‘virtuous women’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (for/indeed)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle

• uktāḥ: (were) mentioned
• uktāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृदन्त), Feminine Nominative Plural (agreeing with sādhvyaḥ/anyāḥ); passive sense ‘have been said’

• vistara-jāt-bhayāt: from fear of (too much) elaboration
• vistara-jāt-bhayāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान—cause, ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक) + jāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: vistarāt jātaṃ bhayam (‘fear arisen from elaboration’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Menā
• Svāhā

FAQs

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

It honors śraddhā (faith) and sādhutva (righteousness) as sacred qualities that support devotion to Shiva, while also showing the Purana’s method of selective narration to preserve the essential dharmic meaning.

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

By highlighting faith (Śraddhā) and virtuous living, it points to the inner qualifications that make Saguna Shiva worship—such as Linga-pūjā—fruitful and spiritually transformative.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate śraddhā alongside daily Shiva devotion—steady japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and simple Linga-pūjā with a sincere, disciplined mind.