Shloka 2

देवस्तुतिः—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्वं, मायाशक्तिः, कर्मफलप्रदातृत्वं च

Devas’ Hymn: Śiva as Parabrahman, Māyā-Śakti, and Giver of Karmic Fruits

Devanagari script

किं मोहयसि नस्तात मायया परया तव । दुर्ज्ञेयया सदा पुंसां मोहिन्या परमेश्वर

Transliteration

kiṃ mohayasi nastāta māyayā parayā tava | durjñeyayā sadā puṃsāṃ mohinyā parameśvara

Translation

O dear one—O Supreme Lord—why do You bewilder us with Your transcendent Māyā, ever hard for embodied beings to comprehend, and deluding to all people?

Word by Word

• किम्: why, what
• किम्: Prayojana/Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा (Accusative/Nominative), एकवचन; interrogative used adverbially ‘why/what’

• मोहयसि: you delude
• मोहयसि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; causative (णिच्) of √मुह्: ‘you delude’

• नः: us
• नः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; enclitic pronoun ‘us’

• तात: O dear one
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; term of address ‘dear one/father’

• मायया: by māyā
• मायया: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• परया: supreme, higher
• परया: Karaṇa-anvaya (करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘मायया’

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

• दुर्ज्ञेयया: hard to know
• दुर्ज्ञेयया: Karaṇa-anvaya (करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्-ज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक; components: दुर् + ज्ञेय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘hard to be known’ qualifying ‘मायया’

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• पुंसाम्: of people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of men/people’

• मोहिन्या: deluding
• मोहिन्या: Karaṇa-anvaya (करण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘deluding/enchanting’ qualifying ‘मायया’

• परमेश्वर: O Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘supreme lord’

Speaker

Satī (addressing Lord Śiva)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sati

FAQs

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

It highlights Māyā as the Lord’s veiling power that makes the Supreme difficult to apprehend for bound beings, urging the seeker to move from confusion to clear recognition of Śiva as Pati (the Lord) through devotion and right understanding.

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

Since Māyā confounds the mind, Saguna worship—such as reverence to the Śiva-liṅga—provides a stable, sanctified focus that purifies perception, helping the devotee gradually discern the transcendent reality of Śiva beyond appearances.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady liṅga-dhyāna, supported by Śaiva marks like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids for remembrance beyond Māyā.