Shloka 39

Kirātāvatāra, Durvāsā-upākhyāna, and the Logic of Divine Rescue

Kirātākhyam-avatāra; Pāṇḍava-prasaṅga

Devanagari script

अस्माकं चैव यूयं च ते चापि समताङ्गताः । तथापि पक्षपातो वै धर्मिष्ठानां मतो बुधैः

Transliteration

asmākaṃ caiva yūyaṃ ca te cāpi samatāṅgatāḥ | tathāpi pakṣapāto vai dharmiṣṭhānāṃ mato budhaiḥ

Translation

“Nós, vós e eles também alcançámos a mesma posição. Ainda assim, os sábios declaram que os verdadeiramente retos mostram uma preferência deliberada: tomar o partido do dharma.”

Word by Word

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• यूयम्: you (pl.)
• यूयम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• समताङ्गताः: having attained equality
• समताङ्गताः: विशेषण (Adjectival to ‘अस्माकम्/यूयम्/ते’ collectively)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समता-अङ्गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; समासः—समताम् अङ्गताः/गताः (द्वितीया-तत्पुरुष; ‘having attained equality’)

• तथापि: even so/however
• तथापि: सम्बन्ध (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्योपपत्ति-निपात (concessive: ‘even so’)

• पक्षपातः: partiality, bias
• पक्षपातः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; समासः—पक्षस्य पातः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक-निपात (assertive particle)

• धर्मिष्ठानाम्: of the most righteous
• धर्मिष्ठानाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; ‘धर्मिष्ठ’ = धर्मे निष्ठा यस्य (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक, here used substantively)

• मतः: considered (to be)
• मतः: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicative to ‘पक्षपातः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; ‘मत’ = ‘considered/held’ (PPP used adjectivally)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: करण (Instrument/Agentive instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana discourse to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that spiritual maturity is not passive neutrality: even among equals, the dharmic person consciously supports what upholds truth and right order. In Shaiva understanding, this is alignment with Shiva’s will as Dharma itself, preparing the heart for His grace (anugraha).

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

Linga worship trains the devotee to see Shiva as the inner ruler and moral compass. This verse echoes that devotion is proven by choosing dharma—standing with what is pure, truthful, and beneficial—rather than claiming ‘all is the same’ while ignoring right conduct.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to pair daily Shiva-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a dharma-sankalpa: before worship, resolve to support truthful speech, non-harm, and purity—symbolically reinforced by Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as reminders of disciplined conduct.