Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

भोगः कर्मविपाकात्मा सुखदुःखात्मको मतः । न च कर्म शिवो ऽस्तीति तस्य भोगः किमात्मकः

Transliteration

bhogaḥ karmavipākātmā sukhaduḥkhātmako mataḥ | na ca karma śivo 'stīti tasya bhogaḥ kimātmakaḥ

Translation

Kinh nghiệm (bhoga) được hiểu là quả chín của nghiệp, mang hình thái lạc và khổ. Nhưng vì Śiva không hề bị nghiệp chi phối, thì “kinh nghiệm” nơi Ngài có thể thuộc bản tính nào?

Word by Word

• भोगः: experience; enjoyment (bhoga)
• भोगः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्म-विपाक-आत्मा: having the nature of the fruition of karma
• कर्म-विपाक-आत्मा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) ‘भोगः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• सुख-दुःख-आत्मकः: consisting of pleasure and pain
• सुख-दुःख-आत्मकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) ‘भोगः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

• मतः: is considered
• मतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘(इति) मतः’ = ‘is considered’

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कर्म: karma; action
• कर्म: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘कर्म (as entity)’

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्ति: exists; is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थ (quotative particle)

• तस्य: of him/that (of Śiva)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक (contextual)

• भोगः: experience; enjoyment
• भोगः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• किम्-आत्मकः: of what nature?
• किम्-आत्मकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Interrogative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषण (interrogative adjective) ‘भोगः’ इति विशेष्यस्य

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya philosophical discourse to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It clarifies a core Shaiva Siddhanta point: pleasure and pain arise from karmic fruition for bound souls (paśu), but Shiva (Pati) is untouched by karma; therefore His “experience” is not like embodied enjoyment or suffering.

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

Linga/Saguna worship helps devotees approach the transcendent Shiva who is beyond karma; by devotion and grace, the soul’s karmic bondage is purified, while Shiva remains ever pure and unaffected.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as karma-free (niṣkriya/akartā in the sense of being untouched by bondage) while repeating the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—to seek purification of karmic fruition and movement toward moksha.