Shloka 22

Arjuna’s Mantra-Empowerment and the Pāṇḍavas’ Separation (Śiva-rūpa through Mantra)

Devanagari script

येनेदञ्च धृतन्तेन व्याप्तमेव न संशयः । प्रथमम्मातृगर्भे वै जन्म दुःखस्य कारणम्

Transliteration

yenedañca dhṛtantena vyāptameva na saṃśayaḥ | prathamammātṛgarbhe vai janma duḥkhasya kāraṇam

Translation

By That Supreme Lord through whom this entire world is sustained, it is indeed pervaded—there is no doubt. First of all, birth in the mother’s womb itself becomes the cause of suffering.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; relative pronoun ‘by which/with which’

• इदम्: this (world/thing)
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; subject

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable conjunction

• धृतम्: sustained/held
• धृतम्: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicative with इदम् (‘is held/sustained’)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; correlative ‘by that’ referring to येन

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded
• व्याप्तम्: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with इदम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable emphatic particle

• न: no/not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable negation particle

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate noun (‘there is no doubt’)

• प्रथमम्: first
• प्रथमम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adverbial accusative ‘first(ly)’

• मातृगर्भे: in the mother’s womb
• मातृगर्भे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa ‘in the mother’s womb’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable particle (emphasis/assurance)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; subject

• दुःखस्य: of suffering
• दुःखस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Vidheyapada (विधेयपद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate noun with जन्म

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the same Shiva who sustains and pervades the universe is also the ultimate refuge from duḥkha; embodied birth begins with suffering, so liberation (moksha) is sought by turning to Pati (Shiva) beyond bondage.

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

Since Shiva pervades all, Saguna worship—especially the Shiva Linga—serves as a tangible focus to realize the all-pervading Lord; devotion to the Linga leads the bound soul (paśu) away from worldly suffering toward Shiva’s grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate vairāgya and steady japa of the Panchakshara mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") while meditating on Shiva as all-pervading; complement with simple Shaiva observances like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as reminders of detachment and divine protection.