Home›Shiva Purana›Rudra Samhita›Yuddha Khanda›Adhyaya 26›Shloka 21
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 21

विष्णुचेष्टितवर्णनम् / Account of Viṣṇu’s Stratagem and Its Aftermath

Devanagari script

देवा ऊचुः । यदुद्भवास्सत्त्वरजस्तमोगुणाः सर्गस्थितिध्वंसविधान कारका । यदिच्छया विश्वमिदं भवाभवौ तनोति मूलप्रकृतिं नताः स्म ताम्

Transliteration

devā ūcuḥ | yadudbhavāssattvarajastamoguṇāḥ sargasthitidhvaṃsavidhāna kārakā | yadicchayā viśvamidaṃ bhavābhavau tanoti mūlaprakṛtiṃ natāḥ sma tām

Translation

诸天说道：我们顶礼那原初的根本自性（Mūla‑Prakṛti），由她生起三德——清净（sattva）、激动（rajas）、昏暗（tamas）——从而制定创造、维持与毁灭之法。凭她的意志，此一宇宙或显或隐而展开；她投射并推动世间之流转。

Word by Word
देवाःthe gods
देवाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
ऊचुःsaid
ऊचुः:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
यत्-उद्भवाःwhose origin (they are) / originating from whom
यत्-उद्भवाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक ‘यद्’ (relative) + विशेषण ‘उद्भव’
सत्त्व-रजस्-तमः-गुणाःthe guṇas—sattva, rajas, tamas
सत्त्व-रजस्-तमः-गुणाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सत्त्वादयः गुणाः’ (determinative)
सर्ग-स्थिति-ध्वंस-विधान-कारकाःcausing the ordinance of creation, maintenance, and destruction
सर्ग-स्थिति-ध्वंस-विधान-कारकाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वंस (प्रातिपदिक) + विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘(they are) agents/causes of the arrangement of creation, maintenance, destruction’
यत्-इच्छयाby whose will
यत्-इच्छया:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)
विश्वम्the universe
विश्वम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
इदम्this
इदम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
भव-अभवौexistence and non-existence
भव-अभवौ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभव (प्रातिपदिक) + अभव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व (pair)
तनोतिspreads/extends
तनोति:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootतन् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मूल-प्रकृतिम्the root Prakṛti
मूल-प्रकृतिम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमूल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
नताःbowed down
नताः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootनत (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; देवाः इत्यस्य विशेषण
स्मindeed/then
स्म:
Discourse particle (निपातार्थ)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्म (अव्यय)
Formस्म-निपात (particle indicating past/assurance), लिट्/लङर्थानुग्राहक
ताम्her
ताम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
Speaker

The Devas

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: sarga-sthiti-pralaya (cosmic cycle)

Characters & Entities
D
Devas
M
Mūla-Prakṛti (Primordial Nature)

FAQs

It points to the cosmic mechanism of bondage and experience: the three guṇas arise from primordial Prakṛti and govern creation, maintenance, and dissolution. From a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, this highlights the domain of Pāśa (binding nature) that operates under higher divine sanction, urging the seeker to turn toward Shiva (Pati) for liberation beyond the guṇas.

By describing the guṇas and the world-process as unfolding by will, the verse implicitly distinguishes the changing realm (Prakṛti and its effects) from the unchanging Lord who is worshiped in Saguna form—most directly as the Śiva-liṅga. Linga worship anchors the mind in the transcendent Pati who governs and surpasses Prakṛti.

A practical takeaway is guṇa-viveka (discernment of sattva, rajas, tamas) while doing japa of the Pañcākṣarī—"Om Namaḥ Śivāya"—and offering bhakti through liṅga-pūjā. The aim is to reduce rajas-tamas, cultivate sattva, and seek Shiva’s grace to transcend all three.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→