Shloka 36

Varṇa-adhikāra, Karma, and the Protection of One’s Attained Spiritual Status (वर्णाधिकारः कर्म च स्वस्थानरक्षणम्)

Devanagari script

हंतव्योऽपि न हंतव्यः पानीयं यश्च याचते । रणे हत्वातुरान्व्यास स नरो ब्रह्महा भवेत्

Transliteration

haṃtavyo'pi na haṃtavyaḥ pānīyaṃ yaśca yācate | raṇe hatvāturānvyāsa sa naro brahmahā bhavet

Translation

Sekalipun seseorang layak dibunuh, bila ia memohon air maka janganlah dibunuh. Wahai Vyāsa, orang yang di medan perang membunuh yang terluka dan menderita menjadi pelaku dosa brahmahatyā.

Word by Word

• हन्तव्यः: to be killed
• हन्तव्यः: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive; ‘to be killed’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात = even/also

• न: not
• न: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• हन्तव्यः: to be killed
• हन्तव्यः: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निषेधेन ‘not to be killed’

• पानीयम्: water
• पानीयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘water/drinking water’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक relative pronoun

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

• याचते: asks/begs
• याचते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); ‘having killed’

• आतुरान्: the distressed
• आतुरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘distressed/afflicted persons’

• व्यास: O Vyāsa
• व्यास: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन

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

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्महा: a slayer of a brāhmaṇa
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः हन्ता); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching dharma to Vyāsa within the Umāsaṃhitā discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vyasa

FAQs

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

It establishes that true dharma is measured by compassion and restraint: even amid conflict, one must not abandon the Shiva-principle of protecting the vulnerable; cruelty toward the helpless binds the soul (paśu) more tightly in pāśa.

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

Linga-worship trains the devotee to see Shiva as the inner Lord (Pati) in all beings; therefore, harming the wounded or one who pleads for water violates the reverence cultivated through Saguna Shiva devotion and the ethic of seeing divinity in life.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to take an ahimsa-vrata (vow of non-cruelty) alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), using it to steady the mind so compassion is maintained even under pressure.