Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 29

गिरिजातपः-परीक्षा तथा सप्तर्षि-आह्वानम्

Girijā’s Austerity-Test and the Summoning of the Seven Sages

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । न ज्ञातं तस्य चरितं वृथापण्डितमानिनः । देवर्षेः कूरमनसः सुज्ञा भूत्वाप्यगात्मजे

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | na jñātaṃ tasya caritaṃ vṛthāpaṇḍitamāninaḥ | devarṣeḥ kūramanasaḥ sujñā bhūtvāpyagātmaje

Translation

Các hiền triết thưa rằng: “Ôi ái nữ của Núi, dẫu đã trở nên thông hiểu, nàng vẫn chưa thấu rõ hạnh trạng chân thật của vị thánh hiền thiên giới ấy. Tâm trí ông ta đần độn, vậy mà lại hão huyền tự cho mình là bậc học giả uyên bác.”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (कर्ता; speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• ज्ञातम्: known
• ज्ञातम्: Kriyā (क्रिया; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; impersonal passive sense

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• चरितम्: conduct/deeds
• चरितम्: Karma (कर्म; thing known)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (प्रातिपदिक; √चर-निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वृथा: vainly
• वृथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (in vain/without cause)

• पण्डित-मानिनः: of the one who fancies himself a scholar
• पण्डित-मानिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive qualifier of 'तस्य')
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक) + मानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: उपपद/तत्पुरुष (पण्डित इति मानिन् = one who thinks himself learned); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• देव-ऋषेः: of the divine sage
• देव-ऋषेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (देवः ऋषिः = divine sage); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कूर-मनसः: of him whose mind is dull
• कूर-मनसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूर (प्रातिपदिक) + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: बहुव्रीहि (कूरं मनः यस्य सः); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; adjective qualifying the same person

• सु-ज्ञा: very wise
• सु-ज्ञा: Karta (कर्ता; subject of 'अगात्'—implied feminine)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपपद) + ज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक; 'ज्ञा' = knowing/wise)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (सुज्ञा = very wise); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (contextually: 'even though (she) was wise')

• भूत्वा: having become / though being
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; concessive prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव), Absolutive/Gerund; √भू (to become)

• अपि: even though
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; concessive particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (concessive)

• अगात्: went
• अगात्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Aorist); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आत्मजे: to/unto (his) son
• आत्मजे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; goal/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; (आत्मजे = in/unto the son; or vocative/locative depending on context)

Speaker

The sages (Ṛṣis), addressing Pārvatī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Parvati

FAQs

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

It warns that mere intellectual pride (pāṇḍitya-māna) can veil true understanding; Shaiva teaching emphasizes humility and discernment as prerequisites for devotion to Pati (Shiva) and liberation.

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

Linga-worship and Saguna Shiva devotion are meant to dissolve ego, not inflate it; the verse critiques false scholarship and points to sincere bhakti as the correct inner posture for Shiva-upāsanā.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt humility while doing japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and worship with bhasma/rudrākṣa as aids—using practice to reduce pride and align the mind with Shiva.