Shloka 16

सतीकृतप्रार्थना तथा परतत्त्वजिज्ञासा — Satī’s Prayer and Inquiry into the Supreme Principle

Devanagari script

भक्तौ ज्ञाने न भेदो हि तत्कर्तुस्सर्वदा सुखम् । विज्ञानं न भवत्येव सति भक्तिविरोधिनः

Transliteration

bhaktau jñāne na bhedo hi tatkartussarvadā sukham | vijñānaṃ na bhavatyeva sati bhaktivirodhinaḥ

Translation

Between devotion (bhakti) and true spiritual knowledge (jñāna) there is, indeed, no real difference; for the practitioner of that path there is happiness at all times. But if one harbors opposition to devotion, realized discernment (vijñāna) never truly arises.

Word by Word

• भक्तौ: in devotion / regarding devotion
• भक्तौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• ज्ञाने: in knowledge / regarding knowledge
• ज्ञाने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• न: not/no
• न: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• भेदः: difference
• भेदः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• तत्-कर्तुः: of that practitioner/doer
• तत्-कर्तुः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): ‘of that doer/agent’

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: always)

• सुखम्: happiness/well-being
• सुखम्: कर्तृ-सम्बन्धी विधेय (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• विज्ञानम्: (discriminative) knowledge
• विज्ञानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as subject

• न: not
• न: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• सति: when there is / in the presence of
• सति: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa; locative absolute)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस् (धातु) → सत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular) of ‘सत्’ (present participle); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when/if there is’

• भक्ति-विरोधिनः: of one who opposes devotion
• भक्ति-विरोधिनः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + विरोधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘devotion-opposing’; qualifies (implicit) person/agent

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s teaching within the Sati Khanda context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that in Shaiva understanding, devotion to Shiva and true liberating knowledge converge; inner peace is natural for the sincere practitioner, while contempt for bhakti prevents direct realization (vijñāna).

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

Linga and Saguna Shiva worship trains the mind in reverence and one-pointedness; this devotional orientation matures into jñāna/vijñāna, whereas rejecting devotion dries up the very conditions needed for realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Daily bhakti-supported sādhana—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with Linga-pūjā and Tripuṇḍra/bhasma remembrance—so that knowledge becomes lived discernment rather than mere argument.