Shloka 23

देवगुरुप्रेषणम्

Himālaya Mission of the Gods’ Preceptor / The Gods Send Their Guru

Devanagari script

स गच्छेदुपशैलेशमात्मनिन्दां करोतु वै । परनिन्दाविनाशाय स्वनिन्दा यशसे मता

Transliteration

sa gacchedupaśaileśamātmanindāṃ karotu vai | paranindāvināśāya svanindā yaśase matā

Translation

Let him go near the Lord of the Mountain and truly speak in self-deprecation. For the destruction of slander of others, self-blame is held to be a source of genuine honor.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• उपशैलेशम्: to the lord of the nearby mountain
• उपशैलेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप + शैल + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'उपशैलस्य ईशः' (lord of the nearby mountain)

• आत्मनिन्दाम्: self-criticism
• आत्मनिन्दाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'आत्मनः निन्दा'

• करोतु: let him do
• करोतु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/indeed)

• परनिन्दाविनाशाय: for the destruction of blaming others
• परनिन्दाविनाशाय: Sampradana/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + निन्दा + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'परनिन्दायाः विनाशः' (destruction of others' blame)

• स्वनिन्दा: self-blame
• स्वनिन्दा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'स्वस्य निन्दा'

• यशसे: for fame
• यशसे: Sampradana/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मता: is considered
• मता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; 'considered/held as'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A didactic maxim: self-deprecation (sva-nindā) is praised as a means to end slander of others (para-nindā). In Śaiva ethics, humility is a purifier that reduces ego (āṇava) and prevents aparādha.

Significance: General: cultivating humility and restraint in speech is framed as ‘yaśas’ (true honor) and as a preparatory virtue for receiving Śiva’s grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that humility and self-examination purify speech and mind; by restraining the impulse to criticize others, one weakens ego (āṇava) and moves closer to Shiva-centered conduct that supports liberation.

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

Approaching the ‘Lord of the Mountain’ implies turning to Saguna Shiva as the living refuge; in Linga-worship, inner purity is essential—humility and non-slander make devotion (bhakti) steady and worthy of Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to combine japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a vow of right speech (mauna/mitabhāṣaṇa), offering one’s faults to Shiva in repentance while avoiding fault-finding in others.