Shloka 121

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

दशदानं ततः कुर्याद्भूरिदानं ततः परम् । बालानामुपनीतानां गृहिणां वनिनां धनम्

Transliteration

daśadānaṃ tataḥ kuryādbhūridānaṃ tataḥ param | bālānāmupanītānāṃ gṛhiṇāṃ vanināṃ dhanam

Translation

Daraufhin soll man die «zehnfache Gabe» vollziehen; und darüber hinaus reichliche Wohltätigkeit üben. Diese Gaben sind den jungen Menschen, die das Upānayana empfangen haben, den Hausvätern und den Waldbewohnern zuzuweisen, indem man ihnen Mittel zum Lebensunterhalt gewährt.

Word by Word

• दश-दानम्: tenfold giving / ‘daśadāna’
• दश-दानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (दशानां दानम्/दशविधं दानम्)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kala (काल/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘thereafter/from that’)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• भूरि-दानम्: abundant giving
• भूरि-दानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूरि (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (भूरि = बहु, ‘abundant’ + दान)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kala (काल/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (sequence adverb)

• परम्: next, further
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as ‘further/next’)

• बालानाम्: of children
• बालानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• उपनीतानाम्: of those initiated (upanīta)
• उपनीतानाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + नी (धातु) → उपनीत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘initiated (with upanayana)’

• गृहिणाम्: of householders
• गृहिणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वनिनाम्: of forest-dwellers/ascetics
• वनिनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• धनम्: wealth, property
• धनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: In the Kāśī-Śiva frame, post-ritual dāna is a channel for Śiva’s anugraha to circulate socially: daśa-dāna and bhūri-dāna support students, householders, and forest-dwellers, stabilizing dharma in the kṣetra.

Significance: Charity after worship is taught as a merit-multiplier and as softening of pāśa (bondage) through generosity and detachment; it supports the devotee’s purification and receptivity to grace.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that wealth becomes spiritually fruitful when offered as dharmic charity; by giving to worthy recipients, the devotee loosens karmic bonds (pāśa) and turns worldly resources into Shiva-oriented merit that supports bhakti and purification.

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

In Linga-centered worship, external offerings are completed by ethical offerings—especially dāna. Supporting students, householders, and forest-ascetics sustains the Shaiva dharmic order and becomes an extension of service to Saguna Shiva manifest as the community of devotees and practitioners.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to pair Shiva-puja (Linga worship, Panchakshara japa) with intentional charity—especially supporting initiated students and renunciants—so that devotion is strengthened by dharma and inner detachment.