Shloka 34

भैरवावतारलीलावर्णनम् (Bhairava-avatāra-līlā-varṇanam) — “Narration of the Divine Play of Bhairava’s Descent”

Devanagari script

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं यस्त्वां स्मरति मानवः । आधारं जगतामीश तस्य पापं विलीयते

Transliteration

kṛtvāpi sumahatpāpaṃ yastvāṃ smarati mānavaḥ | ādhāraṃ jagatāmīśa tasya pāpaṃ vilīyate

Translation

Even if a person has committed a very great sin, when he remembers You—O Lord, the very support of the worlds—his sin is dissolved and fades away.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: पूर्वकाल (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; धातु: कृ

• अपि: even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• सु-महत्-पापम्: a very great sin
• सु-महत्-पापम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (अव्यय उपसर्ग/उपपद) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (very-great sin)

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-प्रत्यययुक्त सर्वनाम

• स्मरति: remembers
• स्मरति: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• आधारम्: O support
• आधारम्: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/सम्बोधन-समकक्ष?); एकवचन; यहाँ सम्बोधनार्थे द्वितीया (vocative sense in poetry)

• जगताम्: of the worlds
• जगताम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• ईश: O Lord
• ईश: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; तद्-प्रत्यय सर्वनाम

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• विलीयते: dissolves, disappears
• विलीयते: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग (passive/intransitive sense)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-smaraṇa (remembrance of Lord Shiva), the Pati and cosmic support, has purifying power strong enough to dissolve even heavy karmic impurities, turning the mind back toward grace and liberation.

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

Remembering Shiva can be anchored in Saguna worship—especially the Shiva Linga as the stable support (ādhāra) for devotion—so that focused recollection, darśana, and reverence become a means of inner cleansing and nearness to Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice steady smaraṇa through japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), mental repetition while visualizing the Linga, and daily devotion (optionally with bhasma/Tripuṇḍra and Rudrākṣa) to stabilize remembrance and purify conduct.