Shloka 13

श्रुतं ध्यायंति तं सर्वे न तैर्दृष्टं कदाचन । साक्षाद्द्रष्टुं तु तपते शिवोऽद्यापि सनातनः ॥ १३ ॥

śrutaṃ dhyāyaṃti taṃ sarve na tairdṛṣṭaṃ kadācana | sākṣāddraṣṭuṃ tu tapate śivo'dyāpi sanātanaḥ || 13 ||

Tous le contemplent seulement selon ce qui est entendu dans la tradition sacrée ; nul ne l’a jamais vu. Pourtant, pour le voir directement, Śiva l’Éternel poursuit encore aujourd’hui ses austérités.

श्रुतम्(what is) heard
श्रुतम्:
कर्म (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रु (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used substantively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; 'that which is heard'
ध्यायन्तिmeditate upon
ध्यायन्ति:
क्रिया (आख्यात/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootध्यै (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद
तम्him/that
तम्:
कर्म (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
सर्वेall
सर्वे:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
not
:
सम्बन्ध (निषेध/Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)
तैःby them
तैः:
करण (Instrument/agent in passive)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
दृष्टम्seen
दृष्टम्:
क्रिया-विशेषण (predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
कदाचनever
कदाचन:
कालाधिकरण (Time adjunct)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचन (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: 'ever/at any time')
साक्षात्directly
साक्षात्:
क्रिया-विशेषण (Manner adjunct)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसाक्षात् (अव्यय)
Formरीत्यर्थ-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'directly, before the eyes')
द्रष्टुम्to see
द्रष्टुम्:
प्रयोजन (Purpose/हेतु)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'but/indeed')
तपतेperforms austerity/strives
तपते:
क्रिया (आख्यात/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootतप् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद
शिवःShiva
शिवः:
कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशिव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
अद्यापिeven now/still
अद्यापि:
कालाधिकरण (Time adjunct)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चित-अव्ययसमूह (adverbial: 'even today/still now')
सनातनःeternal
सनातनः:
विशेषण (Qualifier of शिवः)
TypeAdjective
Rootसनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

Sanatkumara (in dialogue tradition with Narada)

Vrata: none

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"karuna","secondary_rasa":"bhakti","emotional_journey":"From the limitation of mere ‘heard-of’ contemplation (unfulfilled longing) to poignant intensity: even Shiva continues austerities for direct vision."}

S
Shiva

FAQs

It distinguishes scriptural knowledge (śruti-based hearing and contemplation) from direct realization (sākṣāt-darśana), teaching that true vision of the Divine is rare and requires sustained tapas and inner purity.

It implies that devotion matures from hearing and meditating on the Lord’s glories to an experiential encounter; even exalted beings persevere in disciplined practice, showing bhakti must be steady, not merely conceptual.

The verse foregrounds śruti as the authoritative source of contemplation—pointing to disciplined scriptural study and correct recitation/understanding (supported by Śikṣā and Vyākaraṇa) as the foundation for deeper sādhanā.