Shloka 23

ब्राह्मणीस्वर्गतिवर्णनम्

Brāhmaṇī-Svargati-Varṇana: Account of a Brāhmaṇa Woman’s Ascent to Heaven

Devanagari script

प्रातश्चैव मया पुत्र शृंगाभ्यां हि हनिष्यते । हतस्य जीवितं सद्यो यास्यत्यस्य न संशयः

Transliteration

prātaścaiva mayā putra śṛṃgābhyāṃ hi haniṣyate | hatasya jīvitaṃ sadyo yāsyatyasya na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

പ്രഭാതത്തിൽ, മകനേ, എന്റെ രണ്ടു കൊമ്പുകളാൽ ഞാൻ അവനെ നിശ്ചയമായും സംഹരിക്കും. സംഹൃതന്റെ ജീവൻ ഉടൻ തന്നെ വിട്ടുപോകും—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

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

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• मया: by me
• मया: कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• शृंगाभ्याम्: with (my) horns
• शृंगाभ्याम्: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/assurance)

• हनिष्यते: will be killed / will be slain
• हनिष्यते: कर्म-प्रधान क्रिया (Verb; passive-like sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हतस्य: of the slain (one)
• हतस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: अधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: immediately)

• यास्यति: will go/vanish
• यास्यति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of him/of this one
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not/no
• न: सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the dialogue within the Kotirudra Saṃhitā context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Rudra

Shakti Dimension

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse underscores the inevitability of death once a destined act is set in motion, pointing to the Shiva Purana’s recurring teaching: worldly power and threats are transient, while refuge in Pati (Lord Shiva) is the true assurance beyond fear.

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

By highlighting the fragility of embodied life (pāśa-bound existence), it indirectly turns the seeker toward Saguna Shiva worship—Linga-upāsanā—as a stable support for devotion and liberation amid impermanent worldly events.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to cultivate remembrance of Shiva at dawn (prātaḥ-smaraṇa) with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” supported by Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and fearlessness.