Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 38

नारद–हिमालयसंवादवर्णनम्

Nārada and Himālaya: Discourse on Pārvatī’s Signs and Destiny

Devanagari script

अक्षरं परमं ब्रह्म प्रदीपकलिकोपमम् । सदाशिवाख्यं स्वं रूपं निर्विकारमजापरम्

Transliteration

akṣaraṃ paramaṃ brahma pradīpakalikopamam | sadāśivākhyaṃ svaṃ rūpaṃ nirvikāramajāparam

Translation

祂是不坏者、至上梵——如灯盏中安定不摇的火焰。那就是祂自身的本体之相，名为常住湿婆（Sadāśiva）：不变、无生、无上。

Word by Word

• अक्षरम्: the imperishable (reality)
• अक्षरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd; Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (ब्रह्म इति विशेषणम्)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• प्रदीप-कलिका-उपमम्: like the flame/bud of a lamp
• प्रदीप-कलिका-उपमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदीप (प्रातिपदिक) + कलिका (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमा-निर्देशः: प्रदीपकलिकायाः उपमम्/सदृशम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सदा-शिव-आख्यम्: called ‘Sadāśiva’
• सदा-शिव-आख्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नामनिर्देशः: सदाशिव इति आख्यं); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• स्वम्: own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (रूपम् इति विशेषणम्)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• निर्विकारम्: unchanging
• निर्विकारम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + विकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (निर्-उपसर्गयुक्त)

• अज-अपरम्: unborn, unsurpassed
• अज-अपरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक) + अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अजस्य अपरम्/अजाद् अन्यत् इति न; अर्थतः: अजम् अपरम् = ‘unborn and unsurpassed/other-than-none’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sadashiva

FAQs

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

It identifies Sadāśiva as the Imperishable Supreme Reality—changeless and unborn—inviting the seeker to contemplate Shiva as the stable, non-fluctuating ground of consciousness that grants liberation (moksha).

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

Although Sadāśiva is described as nirvikāra (beyond change), the lamp-flame simile supports focused contemplation; in practice, the Linga functions as a saguna support for meditating on that very nirguna, imperishable Brahman.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva with one-pointed steadiness like a lamp-flame, while mentally repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using the Linga (and optionally bhasma/rudraksha) as an aid to stabilize awareness.