Shloka 41

Lord Śiva Instructs the Pracetās (Śiva-stuti and the Path of Bhakti)

Devanagari script

प्रवृत्ताय निवृत्ताय पितृदेवाय कर्मणे । नमोऽधर्मविपाकाय मृत्यवे दु:खदाय च ॥ ४१ ॥

Transliteration

pravṛttāya nivṛttāya pitṛ-devāya karmaṇe namo ’dharma-vipākāya mṛtyave duḥkha-dāya ca

Translation

My Lord, You witness the results of pious deeds; You are both inclination and renunciation, and the actions that arise from them. And because the ripening of irreligion brings forth miserable conditions, You also appear as death. I offer You my obeisances.

Synonyms

• प्रवृत्ताय: to the active/engaged
• प्रवृत्ताय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृत् (धातु) + प्र)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past participle): प्रवृत्त = engaged/active

• निवृत्ताय: to the withdrawn/renounced
• निवृत्ताय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निवृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृत् (धातु) + नि)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त: निवृत्त = withdrawn/ceased

• पितृ-देवाय: to the Fathers and the Gods
• पितृ-देवाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) द्वन्द्व-समास: पितरश्च देवाश्च; चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मणे: to action/ritual act
• कर्मणे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; नमस्कारार्थक-निपात

• अधर्म-विपाकाय: to the fruition of adharma
• अधर्म-विपाकाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: अधर्मस्य विपाकः (ripening/result of unrighteousness)

• मृत्यवे: to death
• मृत्यवे: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुःख-दाय: to the giver of suffering
• दुःख-दाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + दा (धातु) → दाय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुष: दुःखं ददाति इति (giver of sorrow)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Purport

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in everyone’s heart, and from Him issue a living entity’s inclinations and disinclinations. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) :

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Lord Śiva)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about pravritti and nivritti (worldly life and renunciation)?

This verse teaches that both engagement (pravṛtti) and renunciation (nivṛtti) ultimately rest on the Supreme Lord, who governs the order of karma and guides living beings through both paths.

Why does Lord Shiva offer obeisances to death and suffering in this prayer?

Because death (mṛtyu) and suffering (duḥkha) are seen as the Lord’s corrective energies that deliver the reactions of adharma and help the soul turn toward dharma and devotion.

Practical application of this shloka in modern life?

See life’s reversals as meaningful consequences within a moral universe, and respond by choosing dharma, reducing harmful actions, and cultivating devotion rather than blaming fate or others.