Shloka 11

मेनायाः क्रोध-विलापः — Menā’s Lament and Reproach

to the Sage

Devanagari script

हित्वा ब्रह्मजलं दूरे पीतं कूपोदकं त्वया । सूर्यं हित्वा तु खद्योतो गृहीतो यत्नतस्त्वया

Transliteration

hitvā brahmajalaṃ dūre pītaṃ kūpodakaṃ tvayā | sūryaṃ hitvā tu khadyoto gṛhīto yatnatastvayā

Translation

Casting far away the vast ‘ocean-like’ water (of higher truth), you have chosen to drink mere well-water. Abandoning the Sun, you have instead, with great effort, taken hold of a firefly.

Word by Word

• हित्वा: having left
• हित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययभाव कृदन्त (gerund/क्त्वान्त), ‘having abandoned’

• ब्रह्मजलम्: sacred water
• ब्रह्मजलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ब्रह्मणः/ब्रह्मसम्बन्धि जलम्)

• दूरे: far away
• दूरे: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘far away’

• पीतम्: drunk
• पीतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कूपोदकम्: well-water
• कूपोदकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूप + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कूपस्य उदकम्)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; pronoun

• सूर्यम्: the sun
• सूर्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• हित्वा: having left
• हित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययभाव कृदन्त (gerund/क्त्वान्त), ‘having abandoned’

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• खद्योतः: firefly
• खद्योतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खद्योत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गृहीतः: caught/taken
• गृहीतः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्नतः: carefully
• यत्नतः: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) तसिल्-अन्त (ablatival adverb), ‘with effort/carefully’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; pronoun

Speaker

Lord Shiva (instructing in the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa narrative context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns against exchanging the vast, liberating reality of the Supreme (Pati—Shiva) for small, limited substitutes—worldly attainments that require effort yet yield little. It urges viveka (discernment) and turning toward moksha.

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

The verse contrasts the ‘Sun’ of the highest refuge with the ‘firefly’ of lesser objects; in Shaiva Siddhanta practice, Linga worship is a concrete (saguṇa) focus that leads the devotee beyond limited desires toward Shiva’s supreme grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt daily Shiva-upasana with steadiness: japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and meditation on Shiva as the highest aim, cultivating vairagya so attention is not spent on ‘small lights’ of distraction.