Shloka 54

कल्मषापहर-कीर्तनम् / Kīrtana for the Removal of Impurity

Devanagari script

उमोवाच सावद्यं किन्नु वै कर्म निरवद्यं तथैव च । श्रेय: कुर्वन्नवाप्रोति मानवो देवसत्तम,पार्वतीने पूछा--देवश्रेष्ठ] कौन सदोष कर्म हैं और कौन निर्दोष, कौन-सा कर्म करके मनुष्य कल्याणका भागी होता है?

Transliteration

umovāca sāvadyam kiṃ nu vai karma niravadyam tathaiva ca | śreyaḥ kurvann avāpnoti mānavo devasattama ||

Translation

Umā said: “O best of the gods, what kind of action is blameworthy, and what kind is blameless? By performing which action does a human being attain true welfare (śreyas)?”

Word by Word

उमाUmā (Pārvatī)

उवाचsaid

सावद्यंfaulty, blameworthy

किम्what?

नुindeed/then (interrogative emphasis)

वैindeed, surely

कर्मaction, deed

निरवद्यंblameless, faultless

तथाthus, likewise

एवjust, indeed

चand

श्रेयःwelfare, the good

कुर्वन्doing, performing

अवाप्नोतिattains, obtains

मानवःa man, human

देवसत्तमO best of gods

Speaker

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Umā (Pārvatī)

Mahādeva/Śiva (addressed as Devasattama)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic dharma inquiry: distinguishing blameworthy (sāvadyam) from blameless (niravadyam) action, and identifying the kind of conduct that leads to śreyas—lasting welfare rather than merely immediate gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a dialogue setting, Umā (Pārvatī) addresses Mahādeva as ‘best of the gods’ and asks him to clarify ethical categories of action and the path by which humans attain true good.