Shloka 35

Devanagari script

श्लोकार्धेन तु वक्ष्यामि यदुक्तं ग्रन्थकोटिभिः । ममेति परमं दुःखं न ममेति परं सुखम्

Transliteration

ślokārdhena tu vakṣyāmi yaduktaṃ granthakoṭibhiḥ | mameti paramaṃ duḥkhaṃ na mameti paraṃ sukham

Translation

In half a verse I shall state what crores of scriptures have declared: the sense of “mine” is the greatest sorrow, while “not mine” is the highest happiness.

Word by Word

• श्लोकार्धेन: by half a verse
• श्लोकार्धेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: श्लोकस्य अर्धः

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अनुक्रमार्थक निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall say
• वक्ष्यामि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to the statement

• उक्तम्: said
• उक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ग्रन्थकोटिभिः: by crores of books
• ग्रन्थकोटिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grantha + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (koṭi), तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ग्रन्थानां कोटयः (crores of texts)

• मम: of me / mine
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic form ‘mama’

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘दुःखम्’

• दुःखम्: suffering
• दुःखम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक (negation particle)

• मम: of me / mine
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरणार्थक

• परम्: highest
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘सुखम्’

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching Umā/Parvati in the Umāsaṃhitā’s philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A universal upadeśa rather than a site legend: mamakāra (mineness) is the practical knot of bondage; its release is the inner pilgrimage culminating in ‘Śiva-arpita’ living.

Significance: Directly targets pāśa as possessiveness/ahaṃ-mama; supports tyāga and īśvarārpaṇa-buddhi, making worship and dāna efficacious.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: mameti paramaṃ duḥkhaṃ na mameti paraṃ sukham

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It condenses the Shaiva teaching that bondage (pāśa) is strengthened by mamakāra—clinging to “mine”—while freedom arises through vairāgya and surrender, recognizing all as belonging to Pati (Shiva) rather than the limited self.

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

Linga-worship trains the devotee to offer ownership back to Shiva—flowers, water, actions, and identity—so the heart shifts from possessiveness to consecration, seeing Saguna Shiva as the Lord of all and the true ‘owner’ of results.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice daily offering (ārpaṇa-bhāva) during Pūjā or japa—especially with “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—mentally renouncing “mine” with each repetition, and concluding with the resolve that all fruits belong to Shiva.