Shloka 116

Devanagari script

सहजागन्तुकं पापम् अस्थिवागुद्भवं तथा ज्ञानाग्निर्दहते क्षिप्रं शुष्केन्धनम् इवानलः

Transliteration

sahajāgantukaṃ pāpam asthivāgudbhavaṃ tathā jñānāgnirdahate kṣipraṃ śuṣkendhanam ivānalaḥ

Translation

Ob Sünde angeboren oder erworben ist, ja selbst wenn sie aus den Knochen des Leibes und aus der Rede entspringt — das Feuer des befreienden Wissens verbrennt sie rasch, wie die Flamme trockenes Brennholz verzehrt. In der Śaiva-Siddhānta entzündet jñāna die von Pati (Śiva) verliehene Kraft, trennt pāśa und läutert paśu.

Word by Word

• सहज (sahaja): innate, inborn

• आगन्तुक (āgantuka): acquired, incidental

• पापम् (pāpam): sin, demerit (pāpa)

• अस्थि (asthi): bone

• वाक् (vāk): speech

• उद्भवम् (udbhavam): arising from, born of

• तथा (tathā): and also

• ज्ञान (jñāna): liberating knowledge, true gnosis

• अग्निः (agniḥ): fire

• दहते (dahate): burns, consumes

• क्षिप्रम् (kṣipram): quickly, swiftly

• शुष्क (śuṣka): dry

• इन्धनम् (indhanam): fuel, firewood

• इव (iva): like

• अनलः (analaḥ): fire, flame

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching within the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames Linga worship as more than outer ritual: devotion and right insight ignite jñāna-agni, which burns accumulated pāpa and loosens pasha, making the worshipper fit for Shiva’s grace.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva is implied as Pati—the supreme purifier—whose bestowed knowledge functions as fire, capable of rapidly consuming the soul’s impurities and karmic residues.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights jñāna-yoga within a Shaiva frame: cultivating Shiva-jnana (often through mantra, dhyana, and guru-upadesha) so that inner knowledge burns pāpa like dry wood in fire.