Shloka 14

Dehāśucitā-vicāraḥ

Inquiry into the Impurity of the Body

Devanagari script

अहो मोहस्य माहात्म्यं येनेदं छादितं जगत् । शीघ्रं पश्यन्स्वकं दोषं कायस्य न विरज्यते

Transliteration

aho mohasya māhātmyaṃ yenedaṃ chāditaṃ jagat | śīghraṃ paśyansvakaṃ doṣaṃ kāyasya na virajyate

Translation

Alas, how powerful is delusion—by it this entire world is veiled. Even when one quickly perceives one’s own fault, one does not at once become dispassionate toward the body.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/udgāra)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय-अव्यय (interjection: alas/oh!)

• मोहस्य: of delusion
• मोहस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: great power/majesty
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (कर्म) ‘this (world)’

• छादितम्: covered/veiled
• छादितम्: Kriya (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छद् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (इदम्)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial accusative): quickly

• पश्यन्: seeing
• पश्यन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अव्यक्त-कर्ता)

• स्वकम्: one’s own
• स्वकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (दोषम्)

• दोषम्: fault/defect
• दोषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• कायस्य: of the body
• कायस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• विरज्यते: becomes dispassionate/feels disgust
• विरज्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + रञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Shiva (in the Umāsaṃhitā’s philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights moha (delusion) as a veiling power that keeps the soul bound; even self-awareness of one’s defects is not enough unless it matures into vairagya (dispassion) and turning toward Pati (Shiva) for liberation.

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

Linga-worship trains the mind to shift identity from the perishable body to Shiva as the inner Lord; this verse explains why that shift is difficult—delusion persists even after recognizing faults—so steady Saguna devotion and contemplation are prescribed to pierce the veil.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namah Shivaya) with mindfulness of bodily impermanence, along with simple Shaiva disciplines like Tripundra (bhasma) and Rudraksha as aids to remembrance, supports the growth of dispassion taught in this verse.