Shloka 30

तपसो महिमा

The Greatness and Typology of Tapas

Devanagari script

मानुष्यं च समासाद्य स्वर्गमोक्षप्रसाधनम् । नाचरत्यात्मनः श्रेयस्स मृतश्शोचते चिरम्

Transliteration

mānuṣyaṃ ca samāsādya svargamokṣaprasādhanam | nācaratyātmanaḥ śreyassa mṛtaśśocate ciram

Translation

เมื่อได้เกิดเป็นมนุษย์—อันเป็นหนทางเพื่อบรรลุสวรรค์และโมกษะ—ผู้ใดไม่ประพฤติธรรมอันเป็นประโยชน์แท้แก่ตน (อาตมัน) ครั้นตายแล้ว ย่อมเศร้าโศกยาวนาน

Word by Word

• मानुष्यं: human birth/state
• मानुष्यं: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• समासाद्य: having attained/obtained
• समासाद्य: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल; having approached/obtained

• स्वर्गमोक्षप्रसाधनम्: means to heaven and liberation
• स्वर्गमोक्षप्रसाधनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वर्गमोक्षयोः प्रसाधनम्)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• आचरति: practices/does
• आचरति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Parasmaipada

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• श्रेयः: the highest good
• श्रेयः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (pronoun)

• मृतः: dead (having died)
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (√मृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शोचते: grieves
• शोचते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• चिरम्: for a long time
• चिरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares human birth as a rare gateway to svarga and moksha; neglecting śreyas—right conduct, devotion, and inner purification oriented to Shiva—leads to prolonged post-death regret and sorrow.

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta, śreyas is fulfilled through disciplined Shiva-upasana—Linga worship, mantra-japa, and dharmic living—using the human body-mind as the instrument to loosen pāśa (bondage) and turn toward Pati (Shiva).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is daily Shiva-sadhana: Panchakshara japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), Linga-archana with bhakti, and purificatory observances such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, aligned with ethical self-discipline.