Shloka 46
Arjuna–Gaṇa Saṃvāda: Bāṇādhikāra, Tāpasa-veṣa, and the Ethics of Tapas (अर्जुन-गणसंवादः)
भ्रातरश्चैव दुखार्ताः भवन्तु च तथा ध्रुवम् । विद्याश्च निष्फलाः स्युस्तास्तस्मादागच्छ वै ध्रुवम्
bhrātaraścaiva dukhārtāḥ bhavantu ca tathā dhruvam | vidyāśca niṣphalāḥ syustāstasmādāgaccha vai dhruvam
“May your brothers too be afflicted with sorrow—indeed, certainly. And may their learning prove fruitless; therefore, come back at once—surely.”
Suta Goswami (narrating the Śiva Purāṇa dialogue; the quoted line is spoken by an unnamed character within the narrative)
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
It underscores that sorrow and the collapse of merely worldly “vidyā” can function as karmic pressure that turns a person back toward the higher refuge—devotion to Lord Shiva—where true, liberating knowledge becomes fruitful.
By portraying worldly supports as unstable, the verse implicitly redirects the seeker to a stable, accessible focus of grace—Saguna Shiva worship, especially through the Linga—where bhakti ripens and leads toward Shiva’s liberating reality.
A practical takeaway is to return to steady Shiva-sādhana: daily japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” accompanied by simple Linga worship (water/bilva offering) as the antidote to grief and distraction.