Shloka 34

महापातकवर्णनम् (Mahāpātaka-varṇanam) — “Description of Great Sins and Their Consequences”

Devanagari script

वने निरपराधानां प्राणिनां चापघातनम् । द्विजार्थं प्रक्षिपेत्साधुर्न धर्मार्थं नियोजयेत्

Transliteration

vane niraparādhānāṃ prāṇināṃ cāpaghātanam | dvijārthaṃ prakṣipetsādhurna dharmārthaṃ niyojayet

Translation

Trong rừng, người hiền thiện không nên làm hại hay giết các loài vô tội để cầu cái gọi là công đức. Dù lấy cớ vì lợi ích của một bà-la-môn, bạo lực ấy cũng phải bị khước từ, không bao giờ được đặt làm phương tiện của dharma.

Word by Word

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (वन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Saptamī-vibhakti (सप्तमी/locative, case 7), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• nir-aparādhānām: of the innocent (faultless)
• nir-aparādhānām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir- (निर् उपसर्ग) + aparādha (अपराध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying prāṇinām

• prāṇinām: of living creatures
• prāṇinām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्राणिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī-vibhakti (षष्ठी/genitive, case 6), Bahu-vacana (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• apaghātanam: killing / harming
• apaghātanam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apaghātana (अपघातन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• dvija-artham: for the sake of a Brahmin
• dvija-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dvija (द्विज प्रातिपदिक) + artha (अर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (अव्ययीभाव) used adverbially; accusative-form functioning as indeclinable meaning ‘for the sake of’

• prakṣipet: should throw / should offer (cast)
• prakṣipet: Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (क्षिप् धातु) with pra- (प्र उपसर्ग)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

• sādhuḥ: a good man
• sādhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (साधु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (प्रथमा/nominative, case 1), Eka-vacana (एकवचन)

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

• dharma-artham: for the sake of dharma
• dharma-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dharma (धर्म प्रातिपदिक) + artha (अर्थ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (अव्ययीभाव) used adverbially; ‘for the sake of dharma’

• niyojayet: should not employ / should not engage (in)
• niyojayet: Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yuj (युज् धातु) with ni- (नि उपसर्ग) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष/3rd person), Eka-vacana (एकवचन), Causative (णिजन्त)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma Samhita’s dharmic instruction to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It elevates ahimsa (non-violence) as a core Shaiva virtue: true dharma is conduct that purifies the pashu (bound soul) by reducing cruelty and ego, aligning one with Shiva’s auspiciousness (śivattva).

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

Linga-worship is meant to refine the heart through devotion and purity; the verse cautions that external ‘religious’ acts are hollow if they contradict compassion. Saguna Shiva is pleased by sattvic restraint and protection of life, not by justified violence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt a sattvic discipline alongside worship—japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with a vow of non-harming, and perform Shiva-puja with offerings that do not require injury to living beings.