Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 24

हंस-वराह-रूपग्रहण-कारणम्

The Reason for Assuming the Swan and Boar Forms

Devanagari script

अतोऽण्डमभवत्तत्र चतुर्विंशतिसंज्ञ कम् । विराड्रूपमभूद्विप्र जलरूपमपश्यतः

Transliteration

ato'ṇḍamabhavattatra caturviṃśatisaṃjña kam | virāḍrūpamabhūdvipra jalarūpamapaśyataḥ

Translation

于是，在那原初的境况中，宇宙之卵（Aṇḍa）生起，被称为“二十四种”（即由二十四原理所成）。婆罗门啊，它化为毗罗阇（Virāṭ，宇宙大人）的形相，然而在外观上却呈现为水。

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore / from that
• अतः: हेतु (Hetu)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal adverb: therefore/from that)

• अण्डम्: the cosmic egg
• अण्डम्: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अभवत्: came to be
• अभवत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• चतुर्विंशतिसंज्ञकम्: named ‘twenty-four’
• चतुर्विंशतिसंज्ञकम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंशति + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अण्डम्); ‘having the designation twenty-four’

• विराट्-रूपम्: the Virāṭ form
• विराट्-रूपम्: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘virāṭ-form’

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्र: O brāhmaṇa
• विप्र: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• जलरूपम्: the water-form
• जलरूपम्: कर्म (Karma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object of apaśyataḥ)

• अपश्यतः: he saw
• अपश्यतः: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद-रूपेण ‘he saw’ (पश्यत् इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmogony: emergence of brahmāṇḍa (cosmic egg) and virāṭ-appearance; primordial waters motif

Characters & Entities

• Virāṭ

FAQs

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

It presents the universe as an ordered manifestation—an ‘egg’ structured by the twenty-four tattvas—yet appearing as mere watery undifferentiatedness until true discernment arises, pointing to the need for right knowledge (jñāna) to see beyond appearance.

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

The Virāṭ form represents Saguna manifestation—the cosmos as a perceivable body—while its water-like appearance hints that without devotion and insight, the divine order is not recognized. Linga-worship trains the mind to perceive Shiva as the inner reality supporting all forms.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tattva-vicāra (contemplation on the principles of manifestation) supported by japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—to move from seeing creation as mere appearance to recognizing Shiva as its ground.