Shloka 23

अवधूतेश्वरलीला (Avadhūteśvara-līlā) — Śiva Tests Indra’s Pride on the Way to Kailāsa

Devanagari script

मायया मोहितास्सर्वे ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादयोपि ते । त्वां न जानन्ति तत्त्वेन जानन्ति त्वदनुग्रहात्

Transliteration

māyayā mohitāssarve brahmaviṣṇvādayopi te | tvāṃ na jānanti tattvena jānanti tvadanugrahāt

Translation

Tất cả—kể cả Brahmā, Viṣṇu và các vị khác—đều bị Māyā của Ngài làm mê hoặc. Họ không biết Ngài đúng như Thực Tánh; chỉ nhờ ân sủng của Ngài mà họ mới nhận biết được Ngài.

Word by Word

• māyayā: by (your) māyā
• māyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• mohitāḥ: deluded
• mohitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muh (धातु) → mohita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषणम्

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश-विशेषण/संज्ञा

• brahma-viṣṇu-ādayaḥ: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and others
• brahma-viṣṇu-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समाहार/समूहवाचकः (Brahmā, Viṣṇu and others)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (also/even)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (your)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• jānanti: know
• jānanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tattvena: in truth / truly
• tattvena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रकार/उपाय (in reality/as truth)

• jānanti: know
• jānanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• tvat-anugrahāt: from your grace
• tvat-anugrahāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-आधार) + anugraha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (from your grace)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Establishes the Siddhānta axiom: even exalted deities are limited by māyā; true recognition of Śiva arises only through anugraha—hence pilgrimage, pūjā, and vrata are efficacious insofar as they invite grace.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that even the highest cosmic deities cannot grasp Shiva’s ultimate reality (tattva) by their own power, because Māyā veils true knowledge; realization arises through Shiva’s anugraha (grace), aligning with Shaiva emphasis on grace-led liberation.

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

Since tattva-knowledge depends on grace, Saguna worship—such as Linga-pūjā—becomes a practical doorway: devotion, humility, and surrender invite Shiva’s anugraha, through which the worshipper is led from form (Saguna) toward the formless truth (Nirguna) of Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate grace-oriented devotion: daily japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a surrendering attitude, accompanied by simple Linga-abhisheka or Tripuṇḍra/Bhasma remembrance, praying specifically for Shiva’s anugraha to dispel Māyā.