Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 66

भद्रस्य दिव्यरथारोहणं शङ्खनादश्च — Bhadra’s Divine Chariot-Ascent and the Conch-Blast

Devanagari script

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पुण्यमिष्ट्वा यज्ञशतैरपि । न तत्फलमवाप्नोति भक्तिहीनो महेश्वरे

Transliteration

kṛtvāpi sumahatpuṇyamiṣṭvā yajñaśatairapi | na tatphalamavāpnoti bhaktihīno maheśvare

Translation

Dẫu đã làm những công đức rất lớn và dâng cúng hàng trăm lễ tế, người không có lòng sùng kính đối với Maheshvara vẫn không đạt được quả báo chân thật của các hành nghiệp ấy.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) → kṛtvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि (even)

• सु-महत्-पुण्यम्: very great merit
• सु-महत्-पुण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (सु-महत् = very great) + पुण्यम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• इष्ट्वा: having performed sacrifice
• इष्ट्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yaj (यज् धातु) → iṣṭvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having sacrificed/worshipped)

• यज्ञ-शतैः: by hundreds of sacrifices
• यज्ञ-शतैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (यज्ञानां शतैः = by hundreds of sacrifices); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपि (even)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध

• तत्-फलम्: that fruit/result
• तत्-फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (तस्य फलम् = its result); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: attains, obtains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava+āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भक्ति-हीनः: one devoid of devotion
• भक्ति-हीनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (भक्त्या हीनः = devoid of devotion); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• महेश्वरे: in/with regard to Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vayu Samhita teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General doctrinal statement: yajña/puṇya without Śiva-bhakti does not yield the ‘true fruit’ (parama-phala), aligning with Siddhānta’s view that karma is auxiliary and cannot by itself remove pāśa.

Significance: Reorients pilgrimage merit: visiting tīrthas or performing sacrifices is spiritually incomplete without devotion to Maheśvara; bhakti becomes the key that makes rites efficacious.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that ritual merit (puṇya) and even grand sacrificial karma do not yield their highest spiritual result unless they are rooted in bhakti to Pati—Maheshvara—who alone grants grace and liberation.

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

Linga-worship and Saguna Shiva-upasana are meant to awaken loving devotion and surrender; without that inner bhakti, external offerings remain incomplete and cannot deliver the supreme fruit promised by Shaiva worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform worship and japa with bhakti—especially Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya")—and offer daily acts (including simple Linga-puja with water and bilva) as devotion rather than as mere ritual performance.