Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 62

पशुपाशपतिज्ञान-प्राप्तिः

Acquisition of Paśupati–Pāśa Knowledge

Devanagari script

स एष बध्यते पाशैः सुखदुःखाशनः पशुः । लीलासाधनभूतो य ईश्वरस्येति सूरयः

Transliteration

sa eṣa badhyate pāśaiḥ sukhaduḥkhāśanaḥ paśuḥ | līlāsādhanabhūto ya īśvarasyeti sūrayaḥ

Translation

Diese Einzelseele — der paśu, das gebundene Wesen — wird von den Fesseln (pāśas) gebunden und dazu gebracht, Lust und Leid gleichsam zu ‘verzehren’. Die Weisen erklären, dass eine solche Seele zum Werkzeug der göttlichen līlā, des Spiels des Herrn Īśvara, wird.

Word by Word

• सः: he / that (being)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बध्यते: is bound
• बध्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद; Present, 3rd sg, Passive

• पाशैः: by bonds / nooses
• पाशैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुखदुःखाशनः: experiencing pleasure and pain
• सुखदुःखाशनः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख + दुःख + आशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: ‘सुखदुःखे अश्नाति’/‘सुखदुःखयोः आशनः’ = one who experiences (eats) pleasure and pain; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पशुः: the bound soul / creature
• पशुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लीलासाधनभूतः: having become an instrument of (divine) play
• लीलासाधनभूतः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीला + साधन + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: ‘लीलायाः साधनम्’ + ‘भूतः’ = having become an instrument of (His) play; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ईश्वरस्य: of the Lord
• ईश्वरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरण-चिह्न; quotative particle

• सूरयः: the sages / the wise
• सूरयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It summarizes the Shaiva Siddhanta triad: the jīva (paśu) is bound by pāśas (bondage such as karma, ignorance, and limitation) and therefore undergoes sukha and duḥkha; liberation arises when the soul turns to Pati (the Lord, Shiva) who alone can remove bondage.

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

By portraying the soul as bound and Shiva as the Lord (Īśvara/Pati), it supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-pūjā—as a practical means to gain grace, purify karmic bonds, and move from worldly experience toward Shiva-realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A direct takeaway is disciplined Shiva-upāsanā aimed at cutting pāśas: daily japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), Linga-abhiṣeka with a prayer for release from bondage, and steady meditation on Shiva as Pati beyond pleasure and pain.