Shloka 7

गुरुत्व-परम्परा-शौचविधि-प्रश्नः

Questions on Guruhood, Lineage, and Purificatory Discipline

Devanagari script

वामदेव उवाच । भगवन्सर्वतत्त्वज्ञ षण्मुखामृतवारिधे । गुरुत्वं कथमेतेषां यतीनाम्भावितात्मनाम्

Transliteration

vāmadeva uvāca | bhagavansarvatattvajña ṣaṇmukhāmṛtavāridhe | gurutvaṃ kathameteṣāṃ yatīnāmbhāvitātmanām

Translation

Vāmadeva thưa: “Bạch Đấng Tôn Quý, bậc thấu triệt mọi tattva, hỡi biển cam lộ sáu dòng (Ṣaṇmukha), nơi những vị khổ hạnh đã thanh lọc và tu dưỡng nội tâm ấy, địa vị chân chính của bậc Đạo sư (guru-tva) phát sinh bằng cách nào?”

Word by Word

• वामदेवः: Vāmadeva
• वामदेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन); एकवचन

• सर्वतत्त्वज्ञ: knower of all truths
• सर्वतत्त्वज्ञ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + तत्त्व + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वाणि तत्त्वानि जानाति इति = knower of all principles); विशेषण (to bhagavan)

• षण्मुखामृतवारिधे: O ocean of the nectar of the Six-faced (Ṣaṇmukha)
• षण्मुखामृतवारिधे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मुख + अमृत + वारिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; संबोधन; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षण्मुखस्य अमृतस्य वारिधिः = ocean of the nectar of the Six-faced one); संबोधन

• गुरुत्वम्: spiritual authority/guruship
• गुरुत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; here द्वितीया (object of implied ‘tell/explain’)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन

• यतीनाम्: of the ascetics
• यतीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन

• भावितात्मनाम्: of those whose selves are purified/cultivated
• भावितात्मनाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (भावितः आत्मा येषाम् = whose selves are cultivated/refined); विशेषण (to yatīnām)

Speaker

Vāmadeva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Tatpurusha

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Vāmadeva

FAQs

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

It frames guruhood as a spiritual attainment grounded in tattva-jñāna (knowledge of reality) and bhāvitātmatā (inner refinement), implying that true authority to guide arises from realized purity and insight rather than mere position.

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

In Shaiva teaching, devotion to Saguna Shiva (including Linga worship) purifies the antaḥkaraṇa; this verse points to that matured purity and tattva-knowledge as the basis by which a renunciate becomes fit to transmit Shiva’s path as a guru.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse emphasizes inner cultivation—regular japa of Shiva-mantras (especially the Panchākṣarī), meditation, and disciplined renunciation—so that the self becomes bhāvita (well-formed), enabling authentic guidance and liberation-oriented instruction.