Shloka 38

Sarasvatī-avatāra-prasaṅgaḥ

Account of Sarasvatī’s Manifestation and the Humbling of the Devas

Devanagari script

सगुणं निर्गुणं चेति मद्रूपं द्विविधं मतम् । मायाशबलितं चैकं द्वितीयन्तदनाश्रितम्

Transliteration

saguṇaṃ nirguṇaṃ ceti madrūpaṃ dvividhaṃ matam | māyāśabalitaṃ caikaṃ dvitīyantadanāśritam

Translation

My own reality is understood to be of two kinds: with attributes (saguṇa) and without attributes (nirguṇa). One aspect is associated with Māyā and appears variegated by it, while the second is independent of Māyā and rests on nothing else.

Word by Word

• सगुणम्: with attributes
• सगुणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (nom./acc.), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण of मद्रूपम्. समासः: गुणैः सह (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• निर्गुणम्: without attributes
• निर्गुणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of मद्रूपम्. समासः: गुणेभ्यः निर्गतम् / गुणरहितम् (उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (वाक्यार्थसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative/marker)

• मद्रूपम्: my form/nature
• मद्रूपम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन (singular); विषय (topic). समासः: मम रूपम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• द्विविधम्: twofold
• द्विविधम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि-विद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण of मद्रूपम्. समासः: द्वौ विधौ यस्य (द्विगु)

• मतम्: is held/considered
• मतम्: Pradhāna-vidheya (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle) from √मन्/मन् (to think/consider) used adjectivally; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• मायाशबलितम्: mixed/variegated by māyā
• मायाशबलितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माया-शबलित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (one aspect). क्त (PPP) from √शबल्/शबलय् (to variegate/mix) with prefix; समासः: मायया शबलितम् (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (one)

• द्वितीयम्: the second
• द्वितीयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (the second)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuvāda (अनुवाद)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अन्वयार्थे (refers back to the second aspect)

• अनाश्रितम्: undependent / not resorting (to anything)
• अनाश्रितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्-आश्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from √श्रि (to resort/lean on) with उपसर्ग आ- and negation अन्-; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of तत्/द्वितीयम्

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maya

FAQs

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

It distinguishes Shiva as both the accessible Lord with attributes for devotion and worship (saguṇa) and the transcendent, Māyā-independent Absolute (nirguṇa), guiding seekers from devotional practice toward liberation beyond bondage.

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

Linga worship and icon-based devotion belong to the saguṇa approach—Shiva graciously accepts form and attributes within Māyā so the bound soul can concentrate, purify, and steadily realize the nirguṇa truth.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Begin with saguṇa upāsanā—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa observance—then deepen into meditation on Shiva as nirguṇa, the witness beyond Māyā.