Shloka 15

अध्याय ४९ — विवाहानुष्ठाने ब्रह्मणः काममोहः

Brahmā’s Enchantment by Desire during the Wedding Rites

Devanagari script

तवैव चरणाम्भोजम्मुक्तिकामा दृढव्रताः । विसृज्योभयतस्संगं मुनयस्समुपासते

Transliteration

tavaiva caraṇāmbhojammuktikāmā dṛḍhavratāḥ | visṛjyobhayatassaṃgaṃ munayassamupāsate

Translation

Seeking liberation and firm in their vows, the sages worship only Your lotus-feet, having cast aside attachments to both sides—worldly enjoyment and even the pride of renunciation.

Word by Word

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• चरण: feet
• चरण: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• अम्भोजम्: lotus-feet
• अम्भोजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भोज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—अम्भसि जायते इति अम्भोज (कमल) ; चरणाम्भोजम् = चरण- अम्भोजम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: "lotus of (your) feet")

• मुक्ति: liberation
• मुक्ति: Purpose (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• कामाः: desiring liberation
• कामाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—मुक्तिं कामयन्ते इति मुक्तिकामाः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• दृढ: firm
• दृढ: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• व्रताः: of firm vows
• व्रताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; दृढव्रताः = दृढं व्रतं येषां ते (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे कर्मधारय-प्रयोग)

• विसृज्य: having abandoned
• विसृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; "having abandoned"

• उभयतः: on both sides
• उभयतः: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उभयतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) = "on both sides/in both ways"

• सङ्गम्: attachment/association
• सङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• समुपासते: worship/attend upon
• समुपासते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+√आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; "they worship/attend upon"

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating Shiva Purana teachings to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Munis (sages)

FAQs

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

It teaches that moksha arises from single-pointed devotion to Lord Shiva (Pati) while dropping bondage-forming clinging to dualities—both indulgence and the ego of austerity—so the soul (pashu) becomes fit for Shiva’s grace.

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

Worship of Shiva’s ‘lotus-feet’ points to Saguna upasana—approaching Shiva through a concrete focus such as the Shiva Linga, where devotion becomes steady and purifying, leading beyond form toward liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Steady vrata and upasana: daily Shiva-puja (especially Linga-archana), japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and cultivating vairagya by releasing attachment to both sense-pleasure and spiritual pride.