Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 37

अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace

Devanagari script

तस्माद्दुःखात्मिकां हिंसां कुर्वाणो यः सनिर्घृणः । इति निर्बंधयंत्येके नियमो नेति चापरे

Transliteration

tasmādduḥkhātmikāṃ hiṃsāṃ kurvāṇo yaḥ sanirghṛṇaḥ | iti nirbaṃdhayaṃtyeke niyamo neti cāpare

Translation

Vì thế, kẻ tàn nhẫn gây bạo lực—bản tính chỉ làm khổ đau—có người quả quyết rằng kẻ ấy thật bị ràng buộc bởi nghiệp quả và kỷ luật. Nhưng kẻ khác lại nói: “Không, đó chẳng phải là niyama (giới hạnh)”.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• duḥkha-ātmikām: of painful nature
• duḥkha-ātmikām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha-ātmikā (दुःखात्मिका प्रातिपदिक = दुःख + आत्मिका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दुःख-स्वरूपा)

• hiṃsām: violence
• hiṃsām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsā (हिंसा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kurvāṇaḥ: doing/committing
• kurvāṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present middle participle/शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• sa-nirghṛṇaḥ: merciless
• sa-nirghṛṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-nirghṛṇa (सनिर्घृण प्रातिपदिक = स + निर्घृण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (निर्घृणः = दयारहितः; स = सहित/युक्त)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• nirbaṃdhayanti: insist/maintain
• nirbaṃdhayanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-bandh (निर् + बन्ध् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• eke: some (people)
• eke: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (एक प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• niyamaḥ: a rule/obligation
• niyamaḥ: Karma/Pratijñā (प्रत्ययार्थ-विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niyama (नियम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• apare: others
• apare: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (अपर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse frames violence (hiṁsā) as inherently productive of suffering and spiritually degrading; from a Shaiva Siddhanta lens, cruelty tightens pāśa (bondage) and veils the soul from Shiva’s grace, whereas compassion supports purification and liberation.

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

Linga worship is not merely ritual but inner alignment: approaching Saguna Shiva with devotion requires śuddhi (purity) and dayā (compassion). Merciless harm contradicts the devotional and ethical ground that makes Linga-pūjā spiritually fruitful.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt ahimsa and compassion as a daily niyama while doing japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); accompany it with simple Shiva-upāsanā such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and mindful restraint of speech and action.