Shloka 46

नारदस्य विष्णूपदेशवर्णनम् — Nārada and Viṣṇu: Instruction after Delusion

Devanagari script

पापमूलानि दुःखानि विविधान्यपि तान्यतः । शिवार्चनैकनश्यानि नान्य नश्यानि सर्वथा

Transliteration

pāpamūlāni duḥkhāni vividhānyapi tānyataḥ | śivārcanaikanaśyāni nānya naśyāni sarvathā

Translation

Therefore, the many kinds of sufferings that arise from the root of sin are destroyed solely by the worship of Śiva; by no other means are they completely destroyed.

Word by Word

• पाप-मूलानि: having sin as their root
• पाप-मूलानि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: 'of sin'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of दुःखानि)

• दुःखानि: sufferings
• दुःखानि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• विविधानि: various
• विविधानि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—descriptor)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of दुःखानि)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• तानि: those
• तानि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—anaphoric)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'those (sufferings)'

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/तस्मात्-अर्थ (causal/consequential adverb): 'therefore/therefrom'

• शिव-अर्चन-एक-नश्यानि: destroyed only by worship of Śiva
• शिव-अर्चन-एक-नश्यानि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + नश्य (कृदन्त, यत्/ण्यत्-प्राय: adjectival)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of दुःखानि): 'destroyed by Śiva-worship alone'

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्य: other (means)
• अन्य: कर्ता (Karta/Subject—elliptic)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (elliptic: 'other (means)')

• नश्यानि: (are) destroyers
• नश्यानि: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'destructive/that which destroys' (predicate)

• सर्वथा: at all
• सर्वथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण: 'in every way/at all'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General Purāṇic teaching: pāpa (bondage) is eradicated not merely by expiations but by turning to Śiva through arcana (worship), which invokes His anugraha (saving grace).

Significance: Frames Śivārcana as the most complete purifier (pāśa-kṣaya), preparing the soul for Śiva’s grace and liberation.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that duḥkha rooted in pāpa (karmic impurity) is fully dissolved when one turns to Śiva through arcanā (devotional worship), because Śiva as Pati alone grants true purification and release from bondage.

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

Śivārcanā commonly includes Liṅga-pūjā—offering water, bilva leaves, mantra, and reverence to Saguna Śiva—through which the devotee’s karmic stains are pacified and the mind is led toward Śiva’s liberating grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Śiva-arcana with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), along with simple offerings (jala/abhisheka, bilva) is implied as the practical means to uproot pāpa-born suffering.