Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 35

नारदस्य विष्णूपदेशवर्णनम् — Nārada and Viṣṇu: Instruction after Delusion

Devanagari script

साक्षी शिवस्वरूपेण मायाभिन्नस्स निर्गुणः । स्वेच्छाचारी संविहारी भक्तानुग्रहकारकः

Transliteration

sākṣī śivasvarūpeṇa māyābhinnassa nirguṇaḥ | svecchācārī saṃvihārī bhaktānugrahakārakaḥ

Translation

作为见证者，祂即以湿婆之自性而住，超越诸德，不为摩耶所染。随自愿而行，祂在神圣戏游（līlā）中自在运作，并恒常赐予信众恩典。

Word by Word

• साक्षी: witness
• साक्षी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शिव-स्वरूपेण: in the form of Śiva
• शिव-स्वरूपेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): शिवस्य स्वरूपम्

• माया-भिन्नः: distinct from māyā
• माया-भिन्नः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक) + भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भिद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तृतीया/पञ्चमी-भावार्थ): मायया भिन्नः / मायातः भिन्नः (separate from māyā)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• निर्गुणः: without qualities
• निर्गुणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्वेच्छा-चारी: acting by his own will
• स्वेच्छा-चारी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी): स्वेच्छायाः चारी = acting according to own will

• संविहारी: freely moving/sporting
• संविहारी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-वि-हृ (धातु) → संविहारी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (one who sports/moves about)

• भक्त-अनुग्रह-कारकः: one who grants grace to devotees
• भक्त-अनुग्रह-कारकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग्रह (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध): भक्तानाम् अनुग्रहस्य कारकः

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maya

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva is the inner Witness (sākṣī) who is eternally beyond Māyā and the three guṇas, yet out of compassion He grants anugraha (liberating grace) to devotees—linking transcendence with intimate divine mercy.

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

Though Śiva is described as Nirguṇa and untouched by Māyā, devotees approach Him through Saguna worship such as the Śiva-liṅga; the liṅga becomes a support for meditation until one realizes the same Witness-consciousness that the verse proclaims.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A direct takeaway is sākṣī-bhāva meditation—silently witnessing thoughts while repeating the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”; offering water and bilva to the liṅga with devotion aligns the seeker with Śiva’s grace (anugraha).