Shloka 55

Devanagari script

पतिधर्माश्रयाः सर्वा मोहितास्त्रिपुरांगनाः । भर्तृशुश्रूषणवतीं विजहुर्मतिमुत्तमाम्

Transliteration

patidharmāśrayāḥ sarvā mohitāstripurāṃganāḥ | bhartṛśuśrūṣaṇavatīṃ vijahurmatimuttamām

Translation

All the women of Tripurā—though once established in the dharma of fidelity to their husbands—were overcome by delusion, and they cast away that most noble disposition: devoted service to their lords.

Word by Word

• pati-dharma-āśrayāḥ: devoted to the duty toward husbands
• pati-dharma-āśrayāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pati + dharma + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘having resort to the husband’s duty’

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mohitāḥ: deluded
• mohitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muh (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tripura-aṅganāḥ: the women of Tripura
• tripura-aṅganāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tripura + aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘women of Tripura’

• bhartṛ-śuśrūṣaṇa-vatīm: (a mind) endowed with service to the husband
• bhartṛ-śuśrūṣaṇa-vatīm: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhartṛ + śuśrūṣaṇa + vatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); vatī = possessive suffix ‘having’; object-qualifier of ‘matiṃ’

• vijahūḥ: they abandoned
• vijahūḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hā (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); with vi- prefix

• matim: the mind/attitude
• matim: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• uttamām: excellent
• uttamām: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Tripura (the three cities)
• Tripura women

FAQs

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

The verse highlights moha (delusion) as a form of pāśa (bondage) that can eclipse even established dharma; in Shaiva Siddhanta terms, when the mind is seized by impurity and confusion, noble tendencies are abandoned until grace and right knowledge restore clarity.

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

By showing how delusion destabilizes virtue, the text implicitly points to the need for anchoring the mind in Saguna Shiva—through Linga-worship, mantra, and devotion—so that dharma becomes steady and protected from the pull of moha.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to counter moha with daily Shiva-upāsanā: japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), mindful worship of the Linga, and purificatory disciplines such as bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as supports for steadiness and discernment.