Shloka 1

पानीयदान-प्रपादान-वापीकूपतडाग-निर्माण-प्रशंसा

Praise of Water-Gift and the Construction of Wells and Tanks

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । पानीयदानं परमं दानानामुत्तमं सदा । सर्वेषां जीवपुंजानां तर्पणं जीवनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | pānīyadānaṃ paramaṃ dānānāmuttamaṃ sadā | sarveṣāṃ jīvapuṃjānāṃ tarpaṇaṃ jīvanaṃ smṛtam

Translation

Sanatkumāra said: The gift of drinking water is supreme—ever the highest among gifts. For all multitudes of living beings, the act of satisfying them with water is remembered as life itself.

Word by Word

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (सनत् प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (कुमार प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• pānīya-dānam: gift of water
• pānīya-dānam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (पानीय प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (दान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘water’s giving’ = giving of water)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (परम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); adjective qualifying pānīyadānam

• dānānām: of gifts
• dānānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (दान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन)

• uttamam: best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (उत्तम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); predicate adjective to pānīyadānam

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/adverbial time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (सदा अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन)

• jīva-puṃjānām: of multitudes of living beings
• jīva-puṃjānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (जीव प्रातिपदिक) + puṃja (पुंज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘beings’ multitude’)

• tarpaṇam: satiation / offering of water (tarpana)
• tarpaṇam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarpana (तर्पण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• jīvanam: life / sustenance
• jīvanam: Pradhāna (प्रधान/predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvana (जीवन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); predicate nominative

• smṛtam: is regarded (as)
• smṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); impersonal passive sense ‘is considered’

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

FAQs

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

It elevates pānīya-dāna (offering drinking water) as the highest charity because it directly sustains prāṇa (life-force) in all beings; in Shaiva ethics, protecting and nourishing life is a foremost expression of dharma and a form of reverence to Shiva as the indwelling Lord (Pati).

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

Serving living beings with life-sustaining water is treated as practical devotion: honoring Shiva present in all creatures. Such compassionate action supports Saguna worship by purifying the devotee’s mind, making Linga-pūjā more sattvic and inwardly aligned.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple practice is to offer clean drinking water—especially to travelers, the thirsty, or in hot seasons—as a vowed charity (dāna) alongside Shiva-japa (e.g., the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), dedicating the act to Shiva and praying for the welfare of all beings.