Shloka 16

पार्वतीवाक्यं—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्व-निरूपणम्

Pārvatī’s Discourse: Establishing Śiva as Parabrahman

Devanagari script

सप्तजन्मदरिद्रः स्यात्सेवेन्नो यदि शंकरम् । तस्यैतत्सेवनाल्लोको लक्ष्मीः स्यादनपायिनी

Transliteration

saptajanmadaridraḥ syātsevenno yadi śaṃkaram | tasyaitatsevanālloko lakṣmīḥ syādanapāyinī

Translation

جو شنکر کی خدمت و پوجا نہیں کرتا وہ سات جنموں تک بھی محتاج رہتا ہے۔ مگر اسی خدمت سے لکشمی اٹل ہو کر کبھی جدا نہیں ہوتی۔

Word by Word

• सप्तजन्मदरिद्रः: poor for seven births
• सप्तजन्मदरिद्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + जन्म + दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सप्त जन्मानि यस्य/सप्तजन्मसु दरिद्रः इति भावः)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सेवेत्: should serve
• सेवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• उ: indeed/ever
• उ: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Condition marker (शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तबोधक (conditional particle)

• शंकरम्: Shankara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण

• सेवनात्: from (this) service
• सेवनात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• लोकः: the world; people
• लोकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीः: Lakshmi; fortune
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• अनपायिनी: non-departing, unfailing
• अनपायिनी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनपायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (लक्ष्मी-विशेषण)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmī (narrating the teaching of the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthāla) passage; it states a general phala-śruti: service (sevā/pūjā) to Śaṅkara removes multi-birth poverty and establishes stable śrī (prosperity).

Significance: Frames Śiva-bhakti as both ihaloka (worldly) and paraloka (spiritual) beneficence; in Siddhānta terms, devotion and worship prepare the paśu for Śiva’s anugraha that loosens pāśa.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shankara
• Lakshmi

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that devotion and service to Śiva dissolve long-standing karmic scarcity; when the soul aligns with Pati (Śiva) through bhakti-sevā, both inner well-being and outer prosperity become steady by grace.

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

“Serving Śaṅkara” is commonly fulfilled through Saguna upāsanā—especially Śiva-liṅga worship with mantra, offerings, and reverence—by which the devotee receives Śiva’s anugraha (grace) that stabilizes auspiciousness (Lakṣmī).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Śiva-sevā such as daily liṅgārcana with the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), along with simple disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and sincere prayer, is implied as the practical means to invite Śiva’s grace and lasting fortune.