Shloka 16

अथ प्रयत्नः क्रियतां भवेदस्य वधो यथा । तत्रोपायं शृणु प्राज्ञ धर्महेतोर्वदामि ते

atha prayatnaḥ kriyatāṃ bhavedasya vadho yathā | tatropāyaṃ śṛṇu prājña dharmahetorvadāmi te

“Now, let an earnest effort be made so that his slaying may come to pass. Hear the means for that, O wise one; I shall tell it to you for the sake of dharma.”

athathen/now
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, आरम्भ/अनन्तर (particle: now/then)
prayatnaḥeffort
prayatnaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootprayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
kriyatāmlet (it) be made/done
kriyatām:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootkṛ (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive imperative): ‘let it be done’
bhavetmay happen/should be
bhavet:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
asyaof this (one)
asya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
vadhaḥkilling/slaying
vadhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvadha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
yathāso that/as
yathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (so that/as)
tatrathere/in that matter
tatra:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक (there/in that matter)
upāyammeans/strategy
upāyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootupāya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
śṛṇulisten
śṛṇu:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootśru (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन
prājñaO wise one
prājña:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootprājña (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन
dharma-hetoḥfor the sake of dharma
dharma-hetoḥ:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: धर्मस्य हेतुः; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
vadāmiI tell/say
vadāmi:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvad (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन
teto you
te:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन

Suta Goswami

Tattva Level: pashu

FAQs

It frames action as dharma-driven: effort and method (upāya) are justified when undertaken to uphold righteousness, aligning personal will with the higher moral order under Shiva’s governance.

Though not explicitly about the Liṅga, it reflects Saguna Shiva’s role as protector of dharma: devotees are guided to act with discernment and right means, seeing Shiva as the divine authority behind righteous order.

The verse emphasizes prajñā (discernment) and upāya (right method); a practical takeaway is to begin dharma-oriented actions with Shiva-smaraṇa—mental remembrance and japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—to purify intention before acting.