Shloka 1

Śiva-jñāna and the Non-dual Vision of a Śiva-maya Universe (शिवज्ञानम्—सर्वं शिवमयम्)

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । श्रूयतामृषयः सर्वे शिवज्ञानं यथा श्रुतम् । कथयामि महागुह्यं पर मुक्तिस्वरूपकम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | śrūyatāmṛṣayaḥ sarve śivajñānaṃ yathā śrutam | kathayāmi mahāguhyaṃ para muktisvarūpakam

Translation

สูตะกล่าวว่า “ดูก่อนเหล่าฤๅษีทั้งหลาย จงสดับเถิด เราจักกล่าว ‘ญาณแห่งพระศิวะ’ ตามที่ได้สดับมา—เป็นความลับยิ่งใหญ่ สูงสุด ซึ่งมีโมกษะเป็นสภาวะแท้จริง”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्रूयताम्: let it be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive imperative)

• ऋषयः: O sages
• ऋषयः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा-बहुवचन-प्रयोगः

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; ऋषयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• शिव-ज्ञानम्: knowledge of Śiva
• शिव-ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिवस्य ज्ञानम्)

• यथा: as/according to how
• यथा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; comparative/relative adverb

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘heard’

• कथयामि: I narrate/tell
• कथयामि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु; नामधातु/causative sense)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महा-गुह्यम्: the great secret
• महा-गुह्यम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त ‘गुह्य’ from गुह्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—महच्च तत् गुह्यम्

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), एकवचन; महागुह्यम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मुक्ति-स्वरूपकम्: having the nature of liberation
• मुक्ति-स्वरूपकम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूपक (प्रातिपदिक; स्वरूप + क तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—मुक्तेः स्वरूपकम् (having the nature of liberation)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Śiva-jñāna (knowledge of Śiva-tattva) as the highest, most guarded teaching because it directly leads to mokṣa—release from bondage (pāśa) through turning the soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati).

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

By announcing Śiva-jñāna as the path to liberation, the text prepares the listener to receive teachings where saguna worship—especially reverence of the Śiva-liṅga—functions as a practical doorway to realizing Śiva’s supreme reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The immediate practice implied is śravaṇa (reverent listening) to Śiva-kathā; this is commonly supported in Shaiva tradition by japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) as a steady contemplative discipline.