Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । संग्रामस्येह माहात्म्यं त्वयोक्तं मुनिसत्तम । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं ब्रूहि त्वं वदतां वर

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | saṃgrāmasyeha māhātmyaṃ tvayoktaṃ munisattama | etadicchāmyahaṃ śrotuṃ brūhi tvaṃ vadatāṃ vara

Translation

ວະຍາສະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ມຸນິສັດຕະມະ, ເຈົ້າໄດ້ກ່າວເຖິງມະຫາອານຸພາບຂອງສົງຄາມນີ້ແລ້ວ. ຂ້ອຍປາຖະນາຟັງໃຫ້ຄົບ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ຜູ້ເວົ້າອັນປະເສີດ, ຈົ່ງບອກຂ້ອຍ»។

Word by Word

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) — speaker/subject of uvāca
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• saṃgrāmasya: of the battle
• saṃgrāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) — genitive with māhātmyam
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) — locative sense 'here/in this context'
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; deictic adverb (देशवाचक)

• māhātmyam: greatness/glory
• māhātmyam: Karma (कर्म) — thing spoken of
• Type: Noun
• Root: māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of 'uktaṃ' (understood: 'has been told')

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता) — agent in passive with uktaṃ
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana; pronoun

• uktam: told/said
• uktam: Kriyā (क्रिया) — passive predicate
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + ukta (कृदन्त; क्त/PPP)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; past passive participle agreeing with māhātmyam

• muni-sattama: O best of sages
• muni-sattama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (sattamaḥ muniḥ = best sage)

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म) — object of icchāmi/śrotum
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• icchāmi: I desire
• icchāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु; √iṣ/इष् 'to desire')
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Uttama-puruṣa (1st), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता) — subject of icchāmi
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana; pronoun

• śrotum: to hear
• śrotum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन) — purpose ('to hear')
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + śrotum (कृदन्त; तुमुन्/infinitive)
• Form: Avyaya-kṛdanta (infinitive/तुमुनन्त), purpose complement of icchāmi

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriyā (क्रिया) — injunction
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु; √brū/ब्रू 'to say')
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता) — subject of brūhi (explicit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana; pronoun

• vadatām: of speakers
• vadatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) — genitive with vara
• Type: Noun
• Root: vad (धातु) + vadat (कृदन्त; शतृ/Present active participle)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th), Bahuvacana; genitive plural participle used substantively ('of those who speak')

• vara: O best
• vara: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

Speaker

Vyasa

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa

FAQs

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

It highlights śravaṇa (reverent listening) as a purifying Shaiva practice: the seeker (Vyāsa) asks for the full mahātmya, indicating that sacred glory becomes spiritually effective when heard with sincerity.

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

Though the verse itself is a request, it sets up the narration of a sacred episode whose mahātmya typically culminates in devotion to Saguna Shiva and reverence for Shiva’s divine governance (pati) over events that bind and liberate beings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Devotional śravaṇa: hearing Shiva Purana kathā with attention and faith—often paired in Shaiva tradition with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) before or after the discourse.