Shloka 48

Adhyaya 89: शौचाचारलक्षणम् — सदाचार, भैक्ष्यचर्या, प्रायश्चित्त, द्रव्यशुद्धि, आशौच-निर्णय

Devanagari script

नैवमात्मविदामस्ति प्रायश्चित्तानि चोदना विश्वस्यैव हि ते शुद्धा ब्रह्मविद्याविदो जनाः

Transliteration

naivamātmavidāmasti prāyaścittāni codanā viśvasyaiva hi te śuddhā brahmavidyāvido janāḥ

Translation

Für die Kenner des Selbst gelten solche Vorschriften der Sühne nicht wirklich; denn die Kenner der brahma-vidyā sind bereits für die ganze Welt gereinigt. In ihnen wird der Pati (Herr) verwirklicht, und die pāśa-Bindungen, die ritueller Abhilfe bedurften, werden machtlos.

Word by Word

• na evam: not in this way

• ātmavidām: of the knowers of the Self

• asti: there is/exists

• prāyaścittāni: expiations, acts of atonement

• codanā: injunction, scriptural prompting

• viśvasya eva: for the whole world indeed

• hi: for/indeed

• te: they

• śuddhāḥ: purified, pure

• brahma-vidyā-vidaḥ: knowers of brahma-knowledge (highest spiritual knowledge)

• janāḥ: people, persons

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching within the Purva-Bhaga discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It places inner realization (brahma-vidyā/ātma-jñāna) above remedial ritual: true Linga-worship culminates in recognizing the Pati (Shiva) within, where impurity and the need for expiation fall away.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as the purifying Reality itself: when the pashu knows the Self, the Lord’s presence is realized as ever-pure consciousness, dissolving pasha (bondage) that produces ritual notions of sin and cleansing.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights the yogic-jñāna orientation of Pashupata practice—inner purification through Self-knowledge—indicating that expiations are secondary once brahma-vidyā is firmly realized.