Shloka 144

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

जननं मरणं द्वंद्वं शिवमायासमर्पितम् । शिवमायार्पितद्वंद्वो न पुनस्त्वात्मभाग्भवेत्

Transliteration

jananaṃ maraṇaṃ dvaṃdvaṃ śivamāyāsamarpitam | śivamāyārpitadvaṃdvo na punastvātmabhāgbhavet

Translation

Birth and death—the pair of opposites—are handed over to Śiva’s māyā. But the one who consigns these dualities to Śiva’s māyā does not again claim embodied individuality; he does not return to rebirth.

Word by Word

• jananam: birth
• jananam: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nom. sg.)

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nom. sg.)

• dvaṃdvam: the duality/pair
• dvaṃdvam: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvaṃdva (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nom. sg.), समाहारार्थ (collective pair)

• śivamāyāsamarpitam: offered/surrendered to Śiva’s māyā
• śivamāyāsamarpitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva-māyā-samarpita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nom. sg.), विशेषणम् (of dvaṃdva); समासः: शिवमायायै समर्पितम् (dative/ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa sense)

• śivamāyāarpitadvaṃdvaḥ: one whose duality is offered to Śiva’s māyā
• śivamāyāarpitadvaṃdvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva-māyā-arpita-dvaṃdva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nom. sg.); बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य द्वन्द्वं शिवमायायाम् अर्पितम् सः

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम् (adverb: again)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Emphasis/Contrast (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphasis/contrast)

• ātmabhāk: one who partakes of self (ego-identified)
• ātmabhāk: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātma-bhāj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा एकवचनम् (nom. sg.); समासः: आत्मानं भजते/भागी (upapada-tatpuruṣa; ‘one who partakes of self/ego’)

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लकारः विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the cycle of birth and death belongs to the realm of Śiva’s māyā (bondage through limitation). When a devotee recognizes dualities as māyā and surrenders their hold to Śiva, the sense of being a bound, separate individual loosens, leading toward moksha and non-return to rebirth.

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

Linga-worship centers the mind on Śiva as Pati (the Lord) who governs māyā. By devotion to Saguna Śiva (the worshipful Lord with attributes) and steady remembrance at the Linga, the practitioner learns to offer the dvandvas—pleasure/pain, gain/loss, birth/death—into Śiva’s dominion, moving from bondage to grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is dvandva-samarpaṇa: during japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), mentally offer fear of death, attachment to life, and all opposites to Śiva. This can be paired with simple Linga-pūjā and Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) remembrance as a daily discipline of surrender.