Shloka 5

Umā-caritra-prārthanā: Ṛṣayaḥ Sūtaṃ Pṛcchanti

Request for the Account of Umā

Devanagari script

को विरज्येत मतिमान् गुणश्रवणकर्मणि । श्रीमातुर्ज्ञानिनो यानि न त्यजन्ति कदाचन

Transliteration

ko virajyeta matimān guṇaśravaṇakarmaṇi | śrīmāturjñānino yāni na tyajanti kadācana

Translation

What discerning person could ever turn away from the discipline of hearing the Lord’s divine qualities? Even the wise—who know the glory of the Supreme Mother—never abandon these sacred observances at any time.

Word by Word

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• विरज्येत: would become indifferent
• विरज्येत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विरञ्ज्/रञ्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘should become dispassionate’

• मतिमान्: intelligent
• मतिमान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मतिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• गुणश्रवणकर्मणि: in the act of hearing virtues
• गुणश्रवणकर्मणि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + श्रवण + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गुणानां श्रवणं कर्म), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• श्रीमातुः: of Śrī-mother
• श्रीमातुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (Śrī-mother)

• ज्ञानिनः: of the knower/wise one
• ज्ञानिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (or प्रथमा बहुवचन by form; here context favors gen. sg. with श्रीमातुः)

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative pronoun)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• त्यजन्ति: they abandon
• त्यजन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कदाचन: ever
• कदाचन: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (ever/at any time)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Purāṇic teaching to the sages, inferred from Shiva Purana discourse style in Umāsaṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Śravaṇa (hearing) of divine guṇas is itself treated as a sanctifying sādhana; it purifies the paśu and prepares for Śiva-Śakti anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Parvati

FAQs

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

It praises śravaṇa (devotional hearing) as a practice so purifying and grace-invoking that even realized knowers do not abandon it; in Shaiva Siddhanta, such devotion supports the soul’s movement from bondage (pāśa) toward Shiva’s liberating grace.

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

Hearing the Lord’s guṇas is a Saguna-bhakti practice: listening to Shiva-kathā and the Mother’s glory steadies the mind, making outer worship (Liṅga-pūjā) and inner recollection (smaraṇa) continuous rather than occasional.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Shiva-kathā/Devī-kathā śravaṇa (scriptural listening) and nāma-japa—especially the Pañcākṣarī mantra—are implied as daily disciplines that should not be dropped, particularly on Mahāśivarātri and other vrata days.