Shloka 61

Umāyāḥ Kriyāyoga-Rahasya

The Esoteric Teaching on Umā’s Kriyāyoga

Devanagari script

कोटिजन्मकृतं पापं मनोवाक्कायसम्भवम् । निर्धूय चतुरो वर्गानक्षयानिह सोऽश्नुते

Transliteration

koṭijanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ manovākkāyasambhavam | nirdhūya caturo vargānakṣayāniha so'śnute

Translation

Having shaken off the sins amassed over tens of millions of births—sins arising from mind, speech, and body—one attains here the four human aims in an imperishable, unfailing manner.

Word by Word

• कोटि-जन्म-कृतम्: done over crores of births
• कोटि-जन्म-कृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त from √कृ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पापम्-विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (‘done over crores of births’)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मनस्-वाक्-काय-सम्भवम्: arising from mind, speech, and body
• मनस्-वाक्-काय-सम्भवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + काय (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पापम्-विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषः (‘arising from mind, speech, and body’)

• निर्धूय: having removed
• निर्धूय: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√धू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल; ‘having shaken off/removed’

• चतुरः: four
• चतुरः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्गान्-विशेषणम्

• वर्गान्: classes/groups (aims of life)
• वर्गान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अक्षयान्: imperishable
• अक्षयान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; वर्गान्-विशेषणम्

• इह: here/in this world
• इह: Desha-Kala (देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place/time)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अश्नुते: attains/enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching of Umāsaṃhitā to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General phalaśruti: the fruit of the prescribed worship/vow is pāpa-kṣaya and attainment of puruṣārthas; not tied to a specific liṅga-sthala.

Significance: Frames devotion as a purifier of karmic accretions (mala/karma) and as granting dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa in this life.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva-oriented purification can burn away even vast, long-stored karmic impurities (pāpa) created through thought, speech, and action, enabling the seeker to realize the full spectrum of human fulfillment culminating in mokṣa.

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta, worship of Saguna Shiva—often through the Śiva-liṅga with mantra and devotion—functions as a purifying grace-channel: it cleanses the pashu (bound soul) from pāśa (bondage of karma), making dharma, prosperity, rightful enjoyment, and liberation ‘akṣaya’ through Shiva’s anugraha (grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to a purifying Shaiva sādhanā: steady japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with liṅga-pūjā, ideally supported by bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as aids to discipline and inner cleansing.