Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 19

दक्षस्य प्रजावृद्ध्युपायः — Dakṣa’s Means for Increasing Progeny

Devanagari script

सुशास्त्रजनकादेशं यो न वेद निवर्तकम् । स कथं गुणविश्रंभी कर्तुं सर्गमुपक्रमेत्

Transliteration

suśāstrajanakādeśaṃ yo na veda nivartakam | sa kathaṃ guṇaviśraṃbhī kartuṃ sargamupakramet

Translation

若有人不知原初生主藉由正统《沙斯特拉》所示的约束之命，他又怎能依凭诸“古那”而开始造化之业？

Word by Word

• सुशास्त्र-जनक-आदेशम्: the instruction of the good-śāstra author
• सुशास्त्र-जनक-आदेशम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुशास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: (सुशास्त्रस्य) जनकस्य आदेशः = ‘the command/instruction of the author of good śāstra’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Niṣedha/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• वेद: knows
• वेद: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• निवर्तकम्: preventive/that which restrains
• निवर्तकम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘आदेशम्’: ‘that which turns back/prevents’

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; correlative pronoun

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• गुण-विश्रंभी: confident in (his) qualities
• गुण-विश्रंभी: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्रंभी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: गुणेषु विश्रंभी = ‘confident/relying in qualities’ (predicate of ‘सः’)

• कर्तुम्: to do / to undertake
• कर्तुम्: प्रयोजन (Prayojana/purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive) = ‘to do/make’

• सर्गम्: creation / emanation
• सर्गम्: कर्म (Karma/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उपक्रमेत्: could/should begin
• उपक्रमेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Satīkhaṇḍa account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It teaches that action—especially cosmic action like sṛṣṭi—must be governed by śāstra and divine ordinance; mere dependence on the guṇas (Prakṛti’s impulses) leads to disorder, while restraint aligns creation with dharma under Pati (Śiva).

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

The Liṅga signifies Śiva as the supreme regulator beyond the guṇas; worshiping Saguna Śiva trains the devotee to submit personal will to divine command, mirroring the principle that even Brahmā’s creative function proceeds only by higher ordinance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Śāstra-guided discipline: daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with mindful restraint of rajas and tamas, supported by simple Shaiva observances such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness.