Shloka 33

उपमन्यूपदेशः

Upamanyu’s Instruction

Devanagari script

दुर्जनश्च नृपः पापी बहुस्त्रीलंपटः खलः । शिवभक्त्या शिवं प्राप निर्लिप्तः सर्वकर्मसु

Transliteration

durjanaśca nṛpaḥ pāpī bahustrīlaṃpaṭaḥ khalaḥ | śivabhaktyā śivaṃ prāpa nirliptaḥ sarvakarmasu

Translation

Even a wicked man—a sinful king, a depraved villain given to lust for many women—through devotion to Śiva attained Śiva, becoming unstained with regard to all actions.

Word by Word

• दुर्जनः: a wicked man
• दुर्जनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (दुष्टः जनः)

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject - apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पापी: sinful
• पापी: Karta (कर्ता/subject attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बहु-स्त्री-लंपटः: lustful for many women
• बहु-स्त्री-लंपटः: Karta (कर्ता/subject attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + लंपट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (बह्वीषु स्त्रीषु लंपटः)

• खलः: a rogue
• खलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject - apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शिव-भक्त्या: through devotion to Shiva
• शिव-भक्त्या: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य भक्तिः)

• शिवम्: Shiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप: attained
• प्राप: Kriya (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्/प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निर्लिप्तः: unstained
• निर्लिप्तः: Karta (कर्ता/subject attribute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-लिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘unattached/unstained’

• सर्व-कर्मसु: in all actions
• सर्व-कर्मसु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-sphere)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषु कर्मसु)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Umāsaṃhitā (contextual speaker not specified in the supplied excerpt)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-legend; it is a doctrinal illustration: even a morally fallen ruler becomes ‘nirlipta’ through Śiva-bhakti, underscoring Śiva as Paśupati who releases bound souls.

Significance: Teaches hope and transformation: bhakti can burn karmic accretions; ‘nirlipta’ aligns with the Siddhānta idea of karma-mala attenuation under grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

How can a person described as gravely immoral ‘attain Śiva’ through devotion in this verse?

Purāṇic Śaiva theology often emphasizes bhakti as a transformative power: sincere devotion reorients the practitioner toward Śiva, and by Śiva’s grace the karmic ‘stain’ (lepa) is removed. The verse highlights not a denial of wrongdoing, but the claim that devotion—understood as profound turning toward the divine—can effect purification and spiritual liberation beyond one’s prior moral condition.