Shloka 47

Śiva-jñāna and the Non-dual Vision of a Śiva-maya Universe (शिवज्ञानम्—सर्वं शिवमयम्)

Devanagari script

इतिहासपुराणानि वेदाच्छास्त्राणि चासकृत् । विचार्य्योद्धृत्य तत्सारं मह्यं व्यासेन भाषितम्

Transliteration

itihāsapurāṇāni vedācchāstrāṇi cāsakṛt | vicāryyoddhṛtya tatsāraṃ mahyaṃ vyāsena bhāṣitam

Translation

After repeatedly examining the Itihāsas and Purāṇas, as well as the Vedas and the Śāstras, Vyāsa, through discernment, drew forth their very essence and taught that essential truth to me.

Word by Word

• इतिहासपुराणानि: the epics and purāṇas
• इतिहासपुराणानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (इतिहासश्च पुराणानि च)

• वेदात्: from the Veda
• वेदात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• शास्त्राणि: the treatises
• शास्त्राणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन

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

• असकृत्: repeatedly
• असकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विचार्य: having considered
• विचार्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having reflected/considered’

• उद्धृत्य: having extracted
• उद्धृत्य: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having extracted’

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• सारम्: the essence
• सारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• व्यासेन: by Vyāsa
• व्यासेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण/कर्तृ-निर्देश (instrumental of agent)

• भाषितम्: spoken/uttered
• भाषितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘spoken/said’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the received teaching in the Naimisharanya discourse tradition)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa

FAQs

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

It affirms that the Purāṇic teaching being narrated is not mere story but the distilled essence of Veda, Śāstra, and sacred history—meant to lead the soul (paśu) toward Shiva (Pati) through right understanding and devotion.

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

By grounding the narration in Vyāsa’s extracted “essence,” the verse legitimizes concrete Shaiva practices—especially Saguna worship such as Linga-pūjā and Jyotirlinga pilgrimage—as scripturally aligned means to approach the Supreme Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is to practice sāra-grahaṇa—holding to the essence—by steady Shaiva japa (especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) alongside simple Linga worship, rather than getting lost in mere complexity of texts.