Shloka 24

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

अतः शिवप्रसादार्थं क्रियाद्यैः पूजयेच्छिवम् । शिवक्रिया शिवतपः शिवमंत्रजपः सदा

Transliteration

ataḥ śivaprasādārthaṃ kriyādyaiḥ pūjayecchivam | śivakriyā śivatapaḥ śivamaṃtrajapaḥ sadā

Translation

Darum soll man, um Śivas Gnade zu erlangen, Śiva durch die vorgeschriebenen Observanzen und verwandten Disziplinen verehren: stets in Śiva-Kriyā, Śiva-Tapas und im unablässigen Japa der Mantras Śivas verweilend.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: therefore)

• शिव-प्रसाद-अर्थम्: for (obtaining) Śiva’s grace
• शिव-प्रसाद-अर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (for the sake of Śiva’s grace); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (accusative of purpose)

• क्रिया-आद्यैः: by rites etc.
• क्रिया-आद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (beginning with rituals); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; विध्यर्थ (injunctive/should)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शिव-क्रिया: Śiva-ritual (worshipful action)
• शिव-क्रिया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (Śiva-ritual); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिव-तपः: Śiva-austerity
• शिव-तपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (Śiva-austerity); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिव-मन्त्र-जपः: repetition of Śiva’s mantra
• शिव-मन्त्र-जपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (japa of Śiva-mantra); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating Śiva’s teachings on worship to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Emphasizes that grace (prasāda) is the decisive cause of liberation; pilgrimage and temple worship are framed as kriyā-upāya conduits for Śiva’s anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that liberation-oriented progress arises primarily through Śiva’s grace, and that the seeker should align body, speech, and mind with Śiva via right observance (kriyā), austerity (tapas), and mantra-japa to become fit to receive that grace.

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

In the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā, worship is commonly approached through Saguna upāsanā—especially liṅga-pūjā—where disciplined ritual (śiva-kriyā) and mantra-japa focus the devotee on Śiva as the accessible form (saguna) while aiming at His supreme, transcendent reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Śiva-pūjā with prescribed observances, coupled with Śiva-mantra japa—classically the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and supportive tapas such as vrata, purity disciplines, and sustained devotional concentration.