Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 40

गणेश-षण्मुखयोः विवाहविचारः / Deliberation on the Marriages of Gaṇeśa and Ṣaṇmukha

Devanagari script

अपहाय गृहे यो वै पितरौ तीर्थमाव्रजेत् । तस्य पापं तथा प्रोक्तं हनने च तयोर्यथा

Transliteration

apahāya gṛhe yo vai pitarau tīrthamāvrajet | tasya pāpaṃ tathā proktaṃ hanane ca tayoryathā

Translation

ଯେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ଘରେ ପିତାମାତାଙ୍କୁ ଛାଡ଼ି ତୀର୍ଥକୁ ଯାଏ, ତାହାର ପାପ ପିତାମାତାଙ୍କୁ ହତ୍ୟା କରିବା ପାପ ସମାନ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଇଛି।

Word by Word

• अपहाय: having abandoned
• अपहाय: पूर्वकाल (Pūrvakāla/Absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√हा (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) — having abandoned/left

• गृहे: at home
• गृहे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular ‘at home/in the house’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘who’

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — emphasis

• पितरौ: the two parents
• पितरौ: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन — accusative dual ‘(his) two parents’

• तीर्थम्: a pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — accusative singular; goal/object with āvrajet

• आव्रजेत्: should go
• आव्रजेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘should go/approach’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन — ‘of him’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular; subject (understood ‘is said’)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb) — ‘thus/so’

• प्रोक्तम्: declared
• प्रोक्तम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘said/declared’ (predicate qualifier of pāpam)

• हनने: in killing
• हनने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — locative singular ‘in (the act of) killing’

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्धसूचक (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — ‘and’

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, द्विवचन — genitive dual ‘of those two (parents)’

• यथा: as (in the same way)
• यथा: उपमानसूचक (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (comparative/manner) — ‘as/just as’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; it polemicizes ‘misplaced pilgrimage’—going to tīrtha while neglecting parents—declaring it a grave adharma.

Significance: Reorients tīrtha from mere geography to ethical duty; without seva to parents, pilgrimage becomes spiritually counterproductive.

FAQs

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

It teaches that dharma is not bypassed by outward religiosity: neglecting one’s living “deities” (parents) for pilgrimage is spiritually destructive, because true Shaiva devotion must be grounded in compassion, duty, and right conduct.

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

Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is not merely ritual travel or temple-visiting; Saguna Shiva is pleased by inner purity and dharmic life. Serving parents is treated as a direct, tangible form of worship that supports the fruit of Linga-bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Prioritize seva (care and support) to parents as a preparatory discipline; then undertake tirtha-yatra with a clean conscience, while maintaining Shiva-japa (e.g., the Panchakshara) as an inner practice rather than substituting pilgrimage for duty.