Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 26

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन मयाद्यानुमितं महत् । भवांतरे कृतं पापं श्रुता निन्दा भवस्य चेत्

Transliteration

bahunātra kimuktena mayādyānumitaṃ mahat | bhavāṃtare kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ śrutā nindā bhavasya cet

Translation

Wozu hier viele Worte? Ich habe diese große Wahrheit erkannt: Wenn jemand auch nur die Schmähung Bhavas (des Herrn Śiva) vernommen hat, so weist dies auf Sünde hin, die in einer früheren Existenz begangen wurde.

Word by Word

• बहुना: with much (talk)
• बहुना: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (बहु as quantity), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘बहुना’ = ‘with much (speech)’

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (कर्म/Object—implied with उक्तेन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• उक्तेन: by what is said; by speaking
• उक्तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: ‘उक्त’ = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त from √वच् (वच् धातु) ‘said’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kala (काल/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• अनुमितम्: inferred
• अनुमितम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Predicate (विशेषण/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-मा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) from √मा (मा धातु ‘to measure/know’) with अनु-; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘(it) has been inferred’

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of अनुमितम्—‘a great (thing)’)

• भव-अन्तरे: in another birth
• भव-अन्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘भवे अन्तरे’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done; committed
• कृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) from √कृ; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (कर्म/Object—implied ‘committed’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रुता: heard
• श्रुता: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) from √श्रु (श्रु धातु) ‘heard’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of निन्दा)

• निन्दा: censure; blame
• निन्दा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—‘censure (was) heard’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भवस्य: of Bhava (Śiva)
• भवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: saṃsāra (rebirth) implied by bhavāntara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that disrespect toward Śiva (even entertaining or hearing slander) reflects accumulated pāpa from past births; Shaiva dharma therefore emphasizes śraddhā, reverence, and purification through devotion to Pati (Śiva), the liberating Lord.

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

Linga-worship embodies honoring Saguna Śiva as the compassionate, accessible form of the Supreme; the verse warns that nindā undermines this sacred relationship, whereas respectful remembrance and worship support inner purity and grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Avoid nindā and replace it with japa of the Panchākṣarī mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with simple acts of reverence such as offering water to the Liṅga and cultivating sat-saṅga (holy company).