Shloka 23

Vāyu-jaya (Prāṇa-vijaya) and Yogic Mastery over Time — वायुजय (प्राणविजय) तथा कालजय

Devanagari script

श्रुताध्ययनसंपन्ना नानाशास्त्रविशारदाः । ज्ञानिनोऽपि विमुह्यंते पूर्वकर्मवशानुगाः

Transliteration

śrutādhyayanasaṃpannā nānāśāstraviśāradāḥ | jñānino'pi vimuhyaṃte pūrvakarmavaśānugāḥ

Translation

Bahkan mereka yang sempurna dalam mendengar dan belajar, mahir dalam banyak śāstra, dan disebut bijaksana pun dapat tersesat—karena tetap bergerak di bawah dorongan karma lampau.

Word by Word

श्रुताध्ययनसंपन्नाःendowed with learning and study

नानाशास्त्रविशारदाःskilled in various scriptures

ज्ञानिनःthe knowledgeable ones

अपिeven/also

विमुह्यन्तेbecome deluded/confused

पूर्वकर्मवशानुगाःfollowing the compulsion of past actions

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga narrative; it is a doctrinal warning that śāstra-learning alone does not sever karmic compulsion (pāśa).

Significance: Didactic benefit: encourages humility and reliance on Śiva’s grace and right means (upāya), not mere erudition.

Characters & Entities

Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns that intellectual mastery alone is insufficient for liberation; as long as karmic bondage (pāśa) persists, even the learned may be driven into delusion, so one must seek Shiva’s grace and inner purification.

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

Linga/Saguna Shiva worship is presented as a practical means to weaken karmic impressions through devotion, discipline, and grace—helping the seeker move from mere scriptural knowledge to lived realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), along with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as aids to steadiness and purification, supports freedom from karmic-driven confusion.