Shloka 21

Strī-svabhāva-kathanam: Nārada–Pañcacūḍā-saṃvāda

Discourse on Dispassion via the Nārada–Pañcacūḍā Dialogue

Devanagari script

नासां कश्चिदमान्योऽस्ति नासां वयसि निश्चयः । सुरूपं वा कुरूपं वा पुमांसमुपभुंजते

Transliteration

nāsāṃ kaścidamānyo'sti nāsāṃ vayasi niścayaḥ | surūpaṃ vā kurūpaṃ vā pumāṃsamupabhuṃjate

Translation

Among them, no man is considered unworthy, and there is no fixed rule regarding age; whether handsome or ugly, they take a man for their enjoyment.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation particle/निषेध)

• आसाम्: of them (those women)
• आसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्-प्रातिपदिक (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय (indefinite: ‘someone’)

• अमान्यः: unacceptable/undesirable
• अमान्यः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Negation particle)

• आसाम्: of them
• आसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्-प्रातिपदिक (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वयसि: in age
• वयसि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location; domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• निश्चयः: certainty/fixed rule
• निश्चयः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुरूपम्: handsome (man)
• सुरूपम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (सुन्दरं रूपं यस्य)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Disjunctive particle)

• कुरूपम्: ugly (man)
• कुरूपम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कु + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (कुत्सितं रूपं यस्य)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Disjunctive particle)

• पुमांसम्: a man
• पुमांसम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपभुञ्जते: they enjoy/consort with
• उपभुञ्जते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma-samhita account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights the indiscriminate, unstable nature of sense-driven attachment, pointing to kāma as a pasha (bond) that keeps the pashu (bound soul) from turning toward Pati (Shiva) and liberation.

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

By exposing the unreliability of worldly attraction, the verse implicitly directs the seeker to take refuge in steady devotion—Linga-worship and Saguna Shiva-upasana—where the mind is anchored in Shiva rather than in fleeting sensory judgments.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate vairagya alongside daily japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namah Shivaya) and simple Linga-puja; these disciplines help restrain the senses and reorient desire into bhakti.