Shloka 12

भस्म–रुद्राक्ष–शिवनाममाहात्म्य

The Greatness of Bhasma, Rudrākṣa, and the Name of Śiva

Devanagari script

तद्दर्शनं यथा वेणी नोभयोरंतरं मनाक् । एवं योनविजानाति सपापिष्ठो न संशयः

Transliteration

taddarśanaṃ yathā veṇī nobhayoraṃtaraṃ manāk | evaṃ yonavijānāti sapāpiṣṭho na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

വേണി നോക്കുമ്പോൾ അതിലെ നൂലിഴകളുടെ ഇടയിൽ അല്പമെങ്കിലും വിടവ് കാണാത്തതുപോലെ, അതിപാപിഷ്ഠൻ—സംശയമില്ലാതെ—യോനി (കാമവിഷയം) മാത്രമേ കാണൂ; അതിലെ ഉയർന്ന ഭേദം തിരിച്ചറിയാൻ അവനാകില്ല।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘तद्दर्शनम्’ इत्यत्र पूर्वपद (demonstrative)

• दर्शनम्: seeing/appearance
• दर्शनम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: सम्बन्ध (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/तुलनाबोधक (comparative: as/like)

• वेणी: a braid (of hair)
• वेणी: उपमान (Upamāna/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• उभयोः: of the two
• उभयोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विवचनार्थे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• अन्तरम्: difference/interval
• अन्तरम्: कर्म/विधेय (Predicate/Complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘अन्तरं न (अस्ति)’ इत्यर्थे

• मनाक्: even slightly
• मनाक्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मनाक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाणवाचक (adverb: even a little)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus)

• योनौ: in the womb/yoni
• योनौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विजानाति: knows/recognizes
• विजानाति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सपापिष्ठः: the most sinful (one)
• सपापिष्ठः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सपापिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक: स + पापिष्ठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (पापिष्ठः सः)

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

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘न संशयः’ = ‘no doubt’ (idiom)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns that lust distorts perception: the mind loses discernment (viveka) and sees only the sensual object, which strengthens bondage (pāśa) and obstructs turning toward Shiva, the liberating Pati.

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

Linga-worship trains the devotee to shift from sense-driven seeing to sacred seeing—recognizing Shiva as the inner reality—whereas lust-fixation collapses awareness into mere bodily identification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate restraint and japa with the Panchākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to purify perception; support it with Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and steady dhyāna to redirect attention from craving to Shiva.