Shloka 46

Garbha-sthiti, Deha-pariṇāma, and Vairāgya-upadeśa

Embryonic Condition, Bodily Transformation, and Instruction in Detachment

Devanagari script

अस्वेदमधुभिर्याभिरंतस्थः स्रवते बहिः । द्वात्रिंशद्दशनाः प्रोक्ता विंशतिश्च नखाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

asvedamadhubhiryābhiraṃtasthaḥ sravate bahiḥ | dvātriṃśaddaśanāḥ proktā viṃśatiśca nakhāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

ອະໄວຍະວະ/ທໍ່ທາງທັງຫຼາຍ ທີ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ແກ່ນສານພາຍໃນໄຫຼອອກພາຍນອກ ພ້ອມທັງເຫື່ອ ແລະນ້ໍາຫວານດັ່ງນ້ໍາເຜິ້ງ ໄດ້ຖືກກ່າວໄວ້. ສອນວ່າມີແຂ້ວ 32 ແລະຈື່ຈໍາວ່າມີເລັບ 20.

Word by Word

• अस्वेद-मधुभिः: with the honeys (secretions) of non-sweat
• अस्वेद-मधुभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: अस्वेदस्य मधुभिः) । नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचनम्

• याभिः: by which
• याभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रदर्शकं सर्वनाम

• अन्तःस्थः: situated inside
• अन्तःस्थः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तःस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• स्रवते: flows
• स्रवते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• बहिः: outward/outside
• बहिः: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of place)

• द्वात्रिंशत्-दशनाः: the thirty-two teeth
• द्वात्रिंशत्-दशनाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वात्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + दशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वपदः) । पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• प्रोक्ताः: are said/declared
• प्रोक्ताः: विधेय/कर्मणि-क्रिया (Predicative/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• विंशतिः: twenty
• विंशतिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (संख्याशब्दः)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चय-बोधकः (conjunction)

• नखाः: nails
• नखाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

• स्मृताः: are remembered/recorded
• स्मृताः: विधेय/कर्मणि-क्रिया (Predicative/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययः, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching within the Umāsaṃhitā discourse, traditionally narrated through Suta to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga account; here Śiva’s direct upadeśa (via discourse) functions as anugraha—granting discriminative knowledge about embodiment.

Significance: Hearing Śiva’s teaching (śravaṇa) is itself a tīrtha: it purifies deha-abhimāna and supports liberation-oriented practice.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the body as a precisely ordered instrument within Shiva’s cosmic law, reminding the seeker that embodied life has measurable structures and functions that should be governed with discipline for inner purification and liberation.

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

By emphasizing bodily order and restraint, it supports Saguna Shiva worship where external purity (ācāra) and inner control (niyama) accompany devotion—making the devotee fit for Linga-pūjā and mantra-japa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is sense-restraint and bodily purity as preparation for japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), along with steady yogic awareness of the body’s processes rather than indulgence in them.