Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ऊषा प्रोवाच चौरोऽसौ मया प्राप्तस्तु यो निशि । पुरुषः सखि येनाशु चेतोरत्नं हृतं मम

Transliteration

ūṣā provāca cauro'sau mayā prāptastu yo niśi | puruṣaḥ sakhi yenāśu cetoratnaṃ hṛtaṃ mama

Translation

Uṣā said: “Friend, this man who came to me at night is a thief indeed—for he has swiftly stolen away my heart’s jewel.”

Word by Word

• ऊषा: Uṣā
• ऊषा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चौरः: thief
• चौरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• असौ: that (man)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: was met / was obtained
• प्राप्तः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate participle ‘obtained/encountered’

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक particle (but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पुरुषः: man
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to यः

• सखि: O friend
• सखि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• आशु: quickly
• आशु: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक/रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• चेतः-रत्नम्: the heart’s jewel (beloved)
• चेतः-रत्नम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘jewel of the heart/mind’)

• हृतम्: stolen / taken away
• हृतम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicate ‘stolen/taken away’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; possessive genitive

Speaker

Usha

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Usha

FAQs

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

Uṣā’s “heart-jewel” imagery shows how the subtlest inner treasure—one’s consciousness and longing—can be seized by love; in Shaiva understanding, such intense absorption can be refined into single-pointed devotion that ultimately seeks the Supreme (Pati) rather than remaining bound by mere passion (pāśa).

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

Though the verse is a romantic utterance within the narrative, it mirrors the bhakta’s experience with Saguna Shiva—where the Lord ‘steals the heart,’ drawing the mind away from distractions toward concentrated remembrance, as in Linga-upāsanā and nāma-smaraṇa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is inner recollection: steady the mind on one beloved form—practically done through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and simple dhyāna on the Śiva-liṅga, letting the heart’s attention be ‘taken’ from worldly scattering into devotion.