Shloka 37

मुक्तयतिदेहसंस्काररहस्यं — The Esoteric Rites for the Bodies of Liberated Ascetics

Devanagari script

संन्यस्य सर्वकर्म्माणि शिवाश्रयपरा यतः । देहं दूषयतस्तेषां राज्ञो राष्ट्रं च नश्यति

Transliteration

saṃnyasya sarvakarmmāṇi śivāśrayaparā yataḥ | dehaṃ dūṣayatasteṣāṃ rājño rāṣṭraṃ ca naśyati

Translation

When people renounce all worldly duties and take exclusive refuge in Śiva, yet defile their bodies through impure conduct, then because of them both the king and his kingdom come to ruin.

Word by Word

• संन्यस्य: having renounced
• संन्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-√अस्/न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having renounced/laid down’

• सर्वकर्माणि: all actions
• सर्वकर्माणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारय: सर्वाणि कर्माणि

• शिवाश्रयपराः: devoted to Shiva as their refuge
• शिवाश्रयपराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आश्रय + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) (contextual), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष: शिवस्य आश्रयः (शिवाश्रयः) तस्मिन् पराः (devoted to Shiva as refuge)

• यतः: since/because
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (Causal indeclinable: ‘because/since’)

• देहम्: the body
• देहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दूषयतः: of those who defile
• दूषयतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दूष् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle), षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural) रूप: दूषयताम्/दूषयतः (Vedic/epic variant); ‘of those who defile’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), सर्वनाम-रूप

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• राष्ट्रम्: the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (Conjunction)

• नश्यति: perishes/is ruined
• नश्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that taking refuge in Śiva (bhakti or sannyāsa) must be joined with inner and outer purity; otherwise, hypocrisy and bodily corruption become a social sin (pāśa) that blocks grace and harms the wider community.

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

Liṅga-worship signifies Śiva as the pure Pati (Lord) who sanctifies the devotee; the verse warns that external identity as a Śaiva without disciplined conduct contradicts the purity symbolized by the Liṅga and weakens dharma in the realm.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Maintain śauca (purity) alongside Śiva-āśraya: daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), sincere vrata-niyama, and (where appropriate) Tripuṇḍra-bhasma and Rudrākṣa worn with ethical restraint rather than mere display.