Shloka 24

पार्वतीवाक्यं—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्व-निरूपणम्

Pārvatī’s Discourse: Establishing Śiva as Parabrahman

Devanagari script

दुराचाराश्च पापाश्च देवेभ्यस्ते विनिर्गताः । तत्त्वं ते नैव जानन्ति शिवस्यागुणरूपिणः

Transliteration

durācārāśca pāpāśca devebhyaste vinirgatāḥ | tattvaṃ te naiva jānanti śivasyāguṇarūpiṇaḥ

Translation

Люди дурного нрава и греховной природы, хотя и вышедшие из богов, вовсе не знают истинной реальности Шивы, чья сущность — ниргуна, вне гун.

Word by Word

• दुराचाराः: evil-doers, of bad conduct
• दुराचाराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुराचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—दुर् + आचार (कर्मधारय)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पापाः: sinners, wicked ones
• पापाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• देवेभ्यः: from the gods
• देवेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

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

• विनिर्गताः: have come forth, have emerged
• विनिर्गताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-निर्-गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तत्त्वम्: the truth, reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ते: they / of them
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/सम्बन्धे (Genitive) एकवचनस्य रूपम् ‘ते’ (your/of you) अथवा चतुर्थी एकवचन (to you) सन्दर्भे; अत्र ‘ते’ = ‘they’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे ‘they (do) not know’ इति—प्रायः प्रथमा बहुवचन ‘ते’ पुनरुक्तिः; व्याकरणतः सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed, at all
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अगुणरूपिणः: of (him) whose form is beyond qualities
• अगुणरूपिणः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगुणरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—अगुण + रूपिन् (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages, within the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Warns that ethical and cognitive impurity obstructs recognition of nirguṇa Śiva; reinforces that pilgrimage/ritual without inner rectitude and right view remains incomplete.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Devas

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva’s highest reality (tattva) is nirguṇa—beyond prakṛti’s three guṇas—so mere status, birth, or celestial power cannot guarantee true knowledge; purity and right understanding are essential for realizing Pati (Shiva).

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

Though Shiva is ultimately nirguṇa, devotees approach Him through saguna supports like the Śiva-liṅga, mantra, and pūjā; these disciplines purify the mind so one may progress from form-based devotion to insight into Shiva’s guṇa-transcending nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt purifying Shaiva sādhana—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), wearing rudrākṣa, applying tripuṇḍra-bhasma, and steady dhyāna on the liṅga—to overcome pāpa and cultivate fitness to know Shiva-tattva.