Shloka 21

शिवपुराण-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Śiva Purāṇa) / Śivapurāṇa Māhātmya

Devanagari script

एतच्छिवपुराणं हि यः प्रत्यहमतंद्रि तः । यथाशक्ति पठेद्भक्त्या स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते

Transliteration

etacchivapurāṇaṃ hi yaḥ pratyahamataṃdri taḥ | yathāśakti paṭhedbhaktyā sa jīvanmukta ucyate

Translation

Quả thật, ai mỗi ngày tụng đọc Śiva Purāṇa này, không biếng lười, và đọc với lòng sùng kính tùy theo khả năng của mình—người ấy được gọi là jīvanmukta, bậc giải thoát ngay khi còn sống.

Word by Word

• एतत्-शिवपुराणम्: this Shiva Purana
• एतत्-शिवपुराणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + शिवपुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (कर्म/accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वनामपूर्वपद: एतत् शिवपुराणम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (कर्ता/nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• प्रत्यहम्: every day
• प्रत्यहम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• अतन्द्रितः: unwearied, vigilant
• अतन्द्रितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + तन्द्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यः-विशेषण); नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ (not lazy, vigilant)

• यथाशक्ति: according to (one’s) ability
• यथाशक्ति: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय; परिमाण/योग्यतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (according to ability)

• पठेत्: should read/recite
• पठेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (करण/instrumental), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (कर्ता/nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशात्मक सर्वनाम (correlative pronoun)

• जीवन्-मुक्तः: liberated while living
• जीवन्-मुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शतृ) + मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: जीवन् एव मुक्तः = liberated while living)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: In the Viśveśvara (Viśvanātha) milieu, the Purāṇa is presented as Śiva’s own anugraha-śāstra: daily recitation functions as a direct means to grace, paralleling Kāśī’s promise of liberation through Viśveśvara’s presence and teaching-current.

Significance: Daily pāṭha/śravaṇa is framed as a grace-bearing sādhana culminating in jīvanmukti; aligns with Kāśī’s reputation as a mokṣa-kṣetra where Śiva grants liberating knowledge.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that steady, devoted daily engagement with Shiva’s scripture purifies bondage (pāśa) and matures devotion into living liberation (jīvanmukti), where one abides in Shiva-consciousness even while embodied.

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

Daily recitation supports Saguna Shiva-upāsanā by keeping the mind anchored in Shiva’s names, forms, and teachings; this sustained bhakti naturally deepens reverence for the Linga as Shiva’s accessible presence and doorway to the highest truth.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple practice is nitya-pāṭha (daily reading/recitation) of the Shiva Purana with bhakti, done consistently and within one’s capacity—ideally alongside basic Shiva worship such as mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and remembrance.