Shloka 23

Dehāśucitā-vicāraḥ

Inquiry into the Impurity of the Body

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे पञ्चम्यामुमासंहितायां संसारचिकित्सायां देहा शुचित्वबाल्याद्यवस्थादुःखवर्णनं नाम त्रयोविंशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe pañcamyāmumāsaṃhitāyāṃ saṃsāracikitsāyāṃ dehā śucitvabālyādyavasthāduḥkhavarṇanaṃ nāma trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

ਇਸ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਮਹਾਪੁਰਾਣ ਦੇ ਪੰਜਵੇਂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਉਮਾ-ਸੰਹਿਤਾ ਦੇ ‘ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਚਿਕਿਤਸਾ’ ਪ੍ਰਕਰਣ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਦੇਹ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁਚਿਤਾ-ਅਸ਼ੁਚਿਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਲ੍ਯ ਆਦਿ ਅਵਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਉਪਜਦੇ ਦੁੱਖਾਂ ਦਾ ਵਰਣਨ’ ਨਾਮਕ ਤੇਈਵਾਂ ਅਧਿਆਇ ਸਮਾਪਤ ਹੋਇਆ।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Vacana-parisamapti (वचन-परिसमाप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्तिसमाप्ति-सूचक अव्यय (quotative/end marker)

• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (शिवस्य महापुराणम्)

• पञ्चम्याम्: in the fifth
• पञ्चम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (संहितायाम्)

• उमा-संहितायाम्: in the Umāsaṃhitā
• उमा-संहितायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (उमायाः संहिता)

• संसार-चिकित्सायाम्: in (the section called) ‘Treatment of Saṃsāra’
• संसार-चिकित्सायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + चिकित्सा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य चिकित्सा)

• देहाः: bodies
• देहाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शुचित्व-बाल्य-आदि-अवस्था-दुःख-वर्णनम्: description of the sufferings of stages such as purity, childhood, etc.
• शुचित्व-बाल्य-आदि-अवस्था-दुःख-वर्णनम्: Vishaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुचित्व (प्रातिपदिक) + बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (शुचित्व-बाल्य-आदि-अवस्थासु दुःखस्य वर्णनम्)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sanjna (संज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (designation marker: ‘called’)

• त्रयोविंशः: twenty-third
• त्रयोविंशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रयोविंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक/संख्यावाचक विशेषण (अध्यायः)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrator concluding the chapter to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It is a colophon marking the end of a chapter that diagnoses embodied life as inherently mixed with suffering—an insight used in Shaiva teaching to turn the seeker away from mere bodily identification and toward Pati (Shiva) as the liberating Lord.

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

By framing worldly existence as a condition needing ‘treatment,’ it supports turning to Saguna Shiva—especially Linga worship—as a practical means to purify the mind, loosen bondage (pāśa), and orient the soul (paśu) toward Shiva (Pati).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Though this line is a chapter-ending title, its thrust aligns with standard Shiva Purana remedies: steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), Linga-pūjā with devotion, and inner detachment from bodily conditions while pursuing purity of conduct.