Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 12

भक्तिभेदाः—ज्ञानप्रधानभक्तेः प्रशंसा

Grades of Devotees and the Praise of Knowledge-Centered Devotion

Devanagari script

अहं ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च जगतः कारणं परम् । आत्मेश्वर उपद्रष्टा स्वयंदृगविशेषणः

Transliteration

ahaṃ brahmā ca viṣṇuśca jagataḥ kāraṇaṃ param | ātmeśvara upadraṣṭā svayaṃdṛgaviśeṣaṇaḥ

Translation

“我——与梵天与毗湿奴同在——（显现为）宇宙至上的因缘本原。我是自性的主宰，是内在的见证者与观照者，于觉知中自明自照，并以自身之光而见，卓然独一。”

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: कर्ता (Kartā; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अहम्-समनाधिकरण (in apposition to अहम्)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: कर्ता (Kartā; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अहम्-समनाधिकरण

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: प्रधानीय-विशेष्य (Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of कारणम्)

• आत्म-ईश्वरः: lord of the self
• आत्म-ईश्वरः: कर्ता (Kartā; appositional epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('lord of the self/ātman')

• उपद्रष्टा: witness/overseer
• उपद्रष्टा: कर्ता (Kartā; appositional epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपद्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• स्वयम्-दृक्-विशेषणः: one characterized by self-seeing (self-luminous awareness)
• स्वयम्-दृक्-विशेषणः: कर्ता (Kartā; appositional epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय) + दृक् (प्रातिपदिक) + विशेषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (sense: 'whose distinguishing mark is self-luminous seeing')

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It identifies Shiva as the supreme reality who stands as the inner witness (upadraṣṭā) and the ultimate cause behind cosmic functions, even when creation and preservation appear through Brahmā and Viṣṇu—pointing the seeker toward liberation through recognizing Shiva as the indwelling Lord (ātmeśvara).

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

The Liṅga symbolizes Shiva as self-luminous consciousness (svayaṃdṛk) beyond form, while Saguna worship honors the same Shiva as the supreme source empowering Brahmā and Viṣṇu; thus Liṅga worship bridges Nirguṇa truth and Saguṇa devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the inner witness while repeating the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and contemplate the Liṅga as the sign of self-luminous awareness; this aligns devotion with inner realization (ātma-vicāra under Shiva-bhakti).