Shloka 1

पानीयदान-प्रपादान-वापीकूपतडाग-निर्माण-प्रशंसा

Praise of Water-Gift and the Construction of Wells and Tanks

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमार उवाच । पानीयदानं परमं दानानामुत्तमं सदा । सर्वेषां जीवपुंजानां तर्पणं जीवनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

sanatkumāra uvāca | pānīyadānaṃ paramaṃ dānānāmuttamaṃ sadā | sarveṣāṃ jīvapuṃjānāṃ tarpaṇaṃ jīvanaṃ smṛtam

Translation

ಸನತ್ಕುಮಾರನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಪಾನೀಯಜಲದಾನವು ಪರಮ; ದಾನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸದಾ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ. ಎಲ್ಲ ಜೀವಸಮೂಹಗಳಿಗೆ ಜಲತರ್ಪಣವೇ ಜೀವನವೆಂದು ಸ್ಮರಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿದೆ.

Word by Word

• sanat-kumāraḥ: Sanatkumāra
• sanat-kumāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sanat (सनत् प्रातिपदिक) + kumāra (कुमार प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• pānīya-dānam: gift of water
• pānīya-dānam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (पानीय प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (दान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘water’s giving’ = giving of water)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (परम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); adjective qualifying pānīyadānam

• dānānām: of gifts
• dānānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (दान प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन)

• uttamam: best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (उत्तम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); predicate adjective to pānīyadānam

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/adverbial time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (सदा अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन)

• jīva-puṃjānām: of multitudes of living beings
• jīva-puṃjānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (जीव प्रातिपदिक) + puṃja (पुंज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘beings’ multitude’)

• tarpaṇam: satiation / offering of water (tarpana)
• tarpaṇam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarpana (तर्पण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• jīvanam: life / sustenance
• jīvanam: Pradhāna (प्रधान/predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvana (जीवन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); predicate nominative

• smṛtam: is regarded (as)
• smṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (स्मृ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा), Eka-vacana (एकवचन); impersonal passive sense ‘is considered’

Speaker

Sanatkumara

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

FAQs

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

It elevates pānīya-dāna (offering drinking water) as the highest charity because it directly sustains prāṇa (life-force) in all beings; in Shaiva ethics, protecting and nourishing life is a foremost expression of dharma and a form of reverence to Shiva as the indwelling Lord (Pati).

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

Serving living beings with life-sustaining water is treated as practical devotion: honoring Shiva present in all creatures. Such compassionate action supports Saguna worship by purifying the devotee’s mind, making Linga-pūjā more sattvic and inwardly aligned.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple practice is to offer clean drinking water—especially to travelers, the thirsty, or in hot seasons—as a vowed charity (dāna) alongside Shiva-japa (e.g., the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), dedicating the act to Shiva and praying for the welfare of all beings.