Shloka 1

भूतत्रिपुरधर्मवर्णनम् (Description of the Dharma/Conduct of the Bhūta-Tripura) — Chapter 3

Devanagari script

शिव उवाच । अयं वै त्रिपुराध्यक्ष पुण्यवान्वर्ततेऽधुना । यत्र पुण्यं प्रवर्तेत न हंतव्यो बुधैः क्वचित्

Transliteration

śiva uvāca | ayaṃ vai tripurādhyakṣa puṇyavānvartate'dhunā | yatra puṇyaṃ pravarteta na haṃtavyo budhaiḥ kvacit

Translation

Śiva said: “This lord of Tripura is, at present, endowed with merit and stands established in dharma. Wherever merit is actively manifest, the wise should never slay such a one in any circumstance.”

Word by Word

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• ayam: this (person)
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• tripura-adhyakṣa: O lord/overseer of Tripura
• tripura-adhyakṣa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tripura (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tripurasya adhyakṣaḥ)

• puṇyavān: meritorious
• puṇyavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + -vant (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वन्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (possessing merit)

• vartate: exists/behaves, is
• vartate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• adhunā: now
• adhunā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• yatra: where/when
• yatra: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where/when)

• puṇyam: merit, virtue
• puṇyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pravarteta: would proceed/arise
• pravarteta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• haṃtavyaḥ: to be killed
• haṃtavyaḥ: Karya (कार्य/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: to be killed), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निषेधेन (na) सह निषेधार्थ (should not be killed)

• budhaiḥ: by the wise
• budhaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kvacit: ever/anywhere
• kvacit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: ever/anywhere)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Tripurādhyakṣa (Lord of Tripura)

FAQs

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

It teaches Shaiva discernment: even amid conflict, dharma and puṇya are real spiritual forces; when virtue is manifest in a being, the wise restrain violence and act in alignment with higher righteousness under Shiva’s guidance.

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

As Saguna Shiva, the Lord governs dharma in the world and instructs devotees to align action with purity and merit; Linga-worship cultivates this inner discrimination (viveka) so one does not act from rage but from Shiva-centered righteousness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” to steady buddhi before action, and apply vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) as a reminder to restrain harmful impulses and act only in accordance with dharma.