Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 4
शुक्रनिग्रहः — The Seizure/Neutralization of Śukra (Kāvya) and the Daityas’ Despondency
पत्या विहीनाश्च यथैव योषा यथा विपक्षाः खलु मार्गणौघाः । आयूंषि हीनानि यथैव पुण्यैर्व्रतैर्विहीनानि यथा श्रुतानि
patyā vihīnāśca yathaiva yoṣā yathā vipakṣāḥ khalu mārgaṇaughāḥ | āyūṃṣi hīnāni yathaiva puṇyairvratairvihīnāni yathā śrutāni
Như người phụ nữ thiếu vắng chồng thì bơ vơ, như mưa tên trở nên vô dụng khi không có đối thủ, cũng vậy, thọ mạng bị suy giảm khi thiếu các công đức; và ngay cả sự học thánh điển cũng hóa vô ích nếu không có các giới nguyện (vrata) và sự hành trì kỷ luật.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Yuddhakhaṇḍa narration)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse teaches that spiritual life requires integration: merit (puṇya) and disciplined vows (vrata) must support one’s learning and devotion. In Shaiva understanding, knowledge becomes transformative only when embodied as right conduct and worship that aligns the soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati).
Linga/Saguna worship in the Shiva Purana is not merely ritual display; it is sustained by vrata—regular observances, purity, and restraint. The verse implies that without such vowed discipline, even scriptural study or external worship lacks the power to mature into Shiva’s grace and inner purification.
The takeaway is to pair study and mantra with vrata: undertake a Shiva-vrata (e.g., Mahāśivarātri fasting/continence), maintain daily worship with mental steadiness, and support it with puṇya such as charity and non-injury—so practice becomes effective rather than merely formal.