Shloka 23

प्रणवार्थ-शिवतत्त्व-निर्णयः

The Determination of Śiva as the Meaning of Praṇava

Devanagari script

त्रैवर्णिकानां सर्व्वेषां स्वस्वाश्रमरतात्मनाम् । श्रुतिस्मृत्युदितो धर्मोऽनुष्ठेयो नापरः क्वचित्

Transliteration

traivarṇikānāṃ sarvveṣāṃ svasvāśramaratātmanām | śrutismṛtyudito dharmo'nuṣṭheyo nāparaḥ kvacit

Translation

Đối với mọi bậc “hai lần sinh” thuộc ba varṇa, chuyên tâm nơi āśrama của mình, chỉ có dharma được dạy trong Śruti và Smṛti là điều phải thực hành—không bao giờ theo điều nào khác, vào bất cứ lúc nào.

Word by Word

• trai-varṇikānām: of the three varṇas
• trai-varṇikānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + varṇika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of all)

• sva-sva-āśrama-rata-ātmanām: of those whose minds are devoted to their respective āśramas
• sva-sva-āśrama-rata-ātmanām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sva (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + rata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (स्वस्वाश्रमे रतः आत्मा येषां ते), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• śruti-smṛti-uditaḥ: enjoined in śruti and smṛti
• śruti-smṛti-uditaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक) + smṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + udita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुष (श्रुतिः च स्मृतिः—ताभ्याम् उदितः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• dharmaḥ: dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• anuṣṭheyaḥ: to be practiced/performed
• anuṣṭheyaḥ: Pradhāna (प्रधान/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-ṣṭhā (धातु) → anuṣṭheya (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: to be performed), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• aparaḥ: other (another)
• aparaḥ: Pradhāna (प्रधान/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (no other)

• kvacit: anywhere / ever
• kvacit: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasha Samhita teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

FAQs

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

It grounds Shaiva life in śāstra: devotion to Shiva is not lawless or arbitrary; it is purified and made fit for grace (anugraha) when one follows one’s āśrama-dharma as taught by Śruti and Smṛti.

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

Linga/Saguna Shiva worship is to be performed in harmony with Vedic-Smṛti rules—daily duties, purity, and prescribed observances—so that worship becomes a disciplined upāya (means) aligned with dharma rather than personal invention.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Follow authorized practices: perform Shiva-pūjā and japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī) with śāstric discipline, along with customary Shaiva observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where prescribed by tradition.