Shloka 93

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

अंगशुश्रूषया चापि धनाद्यैः स्वार्जितैर्गुरुम् । पादादिकेशपर्यंतं लिंगान्यंगानि यद्गुरोः

Transliteration

aṃgaśuśrūṣayā cāpi dhanādyaiḥ svārjitairgurum | pādādikeśaparyaṃtaṃ liṃgānyaṃgāni yadguroḥ

Translation

One should honor and attend upon the Guru through devoted personal service, and also by offering one’s own rightly earned wealth and other resources—revering, from the Guru’s feet up to the crown of the head, the sacred marks and limbs of that Guru as venerable signs of Śiva.

Word by Word

• अङ्ग-शुश्रूषया: by bodily service
• अङ्ग-शुश्रूषया: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + शुश्रूषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; तत्पुरुष (अङ्गानां शुश्रूषा = service with/through the limbs)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle (निपात) ‘also/even’

• धन-आद्यैः: by wealth and the like
• धन-आद्यैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; तत्पुरुष (धनम् आदि यस्य/येषां = wealth etc.)

• स्वार्जितैः: self-earned
• स्वार्जितैः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural; क्त-प्रत्यय (अर्ज्/अर्जय् ‘to acquire’ → अर्जित ‘acquired’); तत्पुरुष (स्वेन अर्जित = self-earned) qualifying धनाद्यैः

• गुरुम्: the guru
• गुरुम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• पाद-आदि-केश-पर्यन्तम्: from the feet up to the hair (head)
• पाद-आदि-केश-पर्यन्तम्: Desha/Avadhi (देश/अवधि/Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + केश (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘up to …’ (पर्यन्तम्)

• लिङ्गानि: marks/signs
• लिङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• अङ्गानि: limbs/parts
• अङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative plural; in apposition to लिङ्गानि

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; relative pronoun agreeing with लिङ्गानि/अङ्गानि

• गुरोः: of the guru
• गुरोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; Genitive singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Guru

FAQs

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

It teaches that liberation-oriented devotion begins with Guru-bhakti: serving the Guru with body and honestly earned resources, while viewing the Guru’s person as sanctified by Śiva—thus purifying the soul (paśu) from bonds (pāśa) through right relationship to Pati.

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

By calling the Guru’s bodily features and sacred marks “liṅgas,” the verse links visible signs to Saguna worship: the devotee learns to recognize Śiva’s presence through consecrated indicators, culminating in reverence to the Linga and to Śiva’s manifest guidance through the Guru.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice Guru-seva (daily respectful attendance), offer only svārjita (purely earned) gifts, and cultivate a contemplative attitude that the Guru is a channel of Śiva’s grace—supporting mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with humility and discipline.