Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37

दधीचाश्रमगमनम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and Dadhīca’s Fearlessness

Kṣu’s Request

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । इत्युक्त्वा दर्शयामास स्वतनौ निखिलं मुनिः । ब्रह्मांडं च्यावनिश्शंभुतेजसा पूर्णदेहकः

Transliteration

brahmovāca | ityuktvā darśayāmāsa svatanau nikhilaṃ muniḥ | brahmāṃḍaṃ cyāvaniśśaṃbhutejasā pūrṇadehakaḥ

Translation

梵天说道：言毕，那位牟尼便在自身之内显现出整个宇宙。又凭借商布（Śambhu）之光辉威德，使梵卵（Brahmāṇḍa，宇宙之卵）震动迁移——其身已圆满，充盈那神圣之力。

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having said’

• darśayāmāsa: showed
• darśayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + ṇic (प्रत्यय)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) ‘caused to see/showed’

• sva-tanau: in his own body
• sva-tanau: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘स्वस्य तनौ’

• nikhilam: entire
• nikhilam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nikhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (ब्रह्माण्डम् इति विशेषणम्)

• muniḥ: the sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• brahma-aṇḍam: the cosmic egg (universe)
• brahma-aṇḍam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + aṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘ब्रह्मणः अण्डम्’ (cosmic egg)

• cyāvaniḥ: Cyāvani (descendant of Cyavana)
• cyāvaniḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cyāvani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (विशेषणरूपेण मुनिः इत्यस्य)

• śaṃbhu-tejasā: by Śambhu’s splendor
• śaṃbhu-tejasā: Karana (करण/Instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘शम्भोः तेजसा’

• pūrṇa-dehakaḥ: having a fully complete body
• pūrṇa-dehakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (प्रातिपदिक-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘पूर्णः देहः यस्य’

Speaker

Brahma

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Brahmāṇḍa-cyavana: the cosmic egg is ‘shifted’ by Śiva’s radiance manifest through the sage—an extraordinary cosmological display.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Śiva’s tejas as the sustaining and activating principle behind the cosmos, implying that true knowledge is to recognize the universe as dependent on Śiva (Pati) and to seek His grace rather than mere intellectual cosmology.

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

The verse points to Śambhu’s tangible, manifest power (tejas) that can be contemplated—supporting Saguna worship such as the Śiva-liṅga, where the devotee meditates on Śiva as present and effective within all worlds.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva’s all-pervading radiance within the body and cosmos while repeating the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), cultivating inner stillness and surrender to Śiva’s anugraha (grace).