Shloka 4

गौतमस्य शिवदर्शनं पापक्षयवचनं च | Gautama’s Vision of Śiva and the Teaching on Sin and Purification

Devanagari script

स्तुत्वा बहु प्रणम्येशं बद्धाञ्जलिपुटः स्थितः । निष्पापं कुरु मां देवाब्रवीदिति स गौतमः

Transliteration

stutvā bahu praṇamyeśaṃ baddhāñjalipuṭaḥ sthitaḥ | niṣpāpaṃ kuru māṃ devābravīditi sa gautamaḥ

Translation

Having offered abundant praise and repeatedly bowing to the Lord, Gautama stood with folded hands and said to the Deva: “O Lord, make me free from sin.”

Word by Word

• स्तुत्वा: having praised
• स्तुत्वा: पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having praised’

• बहु: much; many times
• बहु: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of degree: much/many times)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having bowed’

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: कर्म (object of bowing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masc. acc. sg.)

• बद्धाञ्जलिपुटः: with joined palms
• बद्धाञ्जलिपुटः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बद्ध + अञ्जलिपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण; ‘with hands joined (añjali)’ (masc. nom. sg.)

• स्थितः: stood; remained
• स्थितः: क्रिया/अवस्था (state predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (PPP; masc. nom. sg.)

• निष्पापम्: sinless
• निष्पापम्: कर्म-विशेषण (object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप = निः + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (neut. acc. sg.; predicate adjective with ‘make’)

• कुरु: make
• कुरु: क्रिया (request/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (loṭ, 2nd pers. sg.)

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (object of ‘make’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (acc. sg.)

• देव: O God
• देव: सम्बोधन (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन (masc. voc. sg.)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (reporting verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (laṅ, 3rd pers. sg.)

• इति: thus
• इति: उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: कर्ता (apposition to ‘he’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (masc. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode of Sage Gautama)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames the core soteriological aim: pāpa-kṣaya/śuddhi as a step toward pāśa-nivṛtti (release from bondage). Pilgrimage and worship are validated as means to purification when joined with surrender.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: niṣpāpaṃ kuru māṃ deva

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Gautama

FAQs

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

It presents the Shaiva Siddhanta mood of śaraṇāgati (surrender): the bound soul seeks the Lord (Pati) for release from pāpa, indicating that purification is ultimately fulfilled by Shiva’s grace received through devotion and humility.

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

The act of praising, bowing, and standing with joined palms reflects personal (saguṇa) worship of Shiva as the approachable Lord who hears prayer—an attitude central to Jyotirlinga pilgrimage and linga-upāsanā in the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Simple bhakti-prayoga: offer stuti (hymns), perform repeated namaskāra, and pray with añjali; this can be paired with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as a purification-focused daily practice.