Shloka 56

Devanagari script

हरिण उवाच । धन्योहं पुष्टिमानद्य भवत्तृप्तिर्भविष्यति । यस्यांगं नोपकाराय तस्य सर्वं वृथा गतम्

Transliteration

hariṇa uvāca | dhanyohaṃ puṣṭimānadya bhavattṛptirbhaviṣyati | yasyāṃgaṃ nopakārāya tasya sarvaṃ vṛthā gatam

Translation

Hariṇa said: “Blessed am I, and today I am truly nourished—your hunger shall be satisfied. For the body of one that is not employed for the good of others, everything is wasted and in vain.”

Word by Word

• hariṇaḥ: the deer
• hariṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hariṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• dhanyaḥ: fortunate; blessed
• dhanyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• puṣṭimān: well-nourished; endowed with strength
• puṣṭimān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣṭi-mant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); possessive adjective (मतुप्/मन्त)

• adya: today
• adya: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of time (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• bhavat-tṛptiḥ: your satisfaction
• bhavat-tṛptiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘bhavataḥ tṛptiḥ’

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yasya: of whom; whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• aṅgam: body; limb
• aṅgam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• upakārāya: for helping; for benefit
• upakārāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of that person; his
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vṛthā: in vain; uselessly
• vṛthā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vṛthā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• gatam: gone; ended up
• gatam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); used predicatively with ‘sarvam’

Speaker

Hariṇa

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The deer articulates a dharma of upakāra (beneficence): embodiment is meaningful when used for others’ welfare. In Śaiva Siddhānta terms, this is the ethical purification (caryā) that prepares the paśu for Śiva’s anugraha and loosening of pāśa.

Significance: Frames pilgrimage and worship as inseparable from compassion and service; teaches that Śiva-bhakti matures through ethical use of the body and resources.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that embodied life gains true worth when the body and strength are used for upakāra (benefiting others). In Shaiva understanding, such selfless conduct purifies the pashu (bound soul) and supports the soul’s movement toward Shiva’s grace.

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

Linga worship is not only ritual; it is meant to transform character. Serving living beings with compassion is aligned with honoring Saguna Shiva as the indwelling Lord, making devotion practical rather than merely ceremonial.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is dana and seva alongside Shiva worship—offer food, protection, or aid as an extension of daily puja; mentally dedicate such acts to Shiva while repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya).