Shloka 16

पुराणश्रवणप्रस्तावः

Prologue to the Recitation of the Śaiva Purāṇa

Devanagari script

अमुष्यैवाध्वरेशस्य शिवस्यैव प्रसादतः । वेदोक्तविद्यासारं तु ज्ञायते साध्यसाधनं

Transliteration

amuṣyaivādhvareśasya śivasyaiva prasādataḥ | vedoktavidyāsāraṃ tu jñāyate sādhyasādhanaṃ

Translation

凭借那位湿婆——祭祀之主——的恩典，人得以了知吠陀所宣说之智慧精髓：所当证得者，以及证得之道。

Word by Word

• अमुष्य: of that (person)
• अमुष्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमुष्य (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द (pronoun)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• अध्वरेशस्य: of the lord of the sacrifice
• अध्वरेशस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी): अध्वरस्य ईशः; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• प्रसादतः: from (his) grace
• प्रसादतः: अपादान (अपादान/Source-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे (ablative of cause/source)

• वेदोक्तविद्यासारम्: the essence of the knowledge taught in the Veda
• वेदोक्तविद्यासारम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-उक्त-विद्या-सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास: वेदेन उक्ता या विद्या तस्याः सारः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध-निर्देशक (contrast)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrastive particle), अव्यय

• ज्ञायते: is known/comes to be known
• ज्ञायते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• साध्यसाधनम्: the goal and the means
• साध्यसाधनम्: कर्म (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्य-साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara): साध्यं च साधनं च; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्ववत्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: General doctrinal point: Śiva as Adhvareśa (Lord of sacrifice) grants the inner meaning of Veda—knowledge of sādhya and sādhana—implying that pilgrimage/ritual culminates in revealed understanding through grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that true understanding of Dharma and liberation is not merely intellectual; it dawns through Śiva’s prasāda, which reveals both the highest aim (mokṣa/Śiva-realization) and the proper path (sādhana).

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

Calling Śiva the ‘Lord of sacrifice’ implies that all sacred rites culminate in Him; Linga/Saguna worship becomes a direct, grace-filled means through which the Vedic essence is realized, not just performed outwardly.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate Śiva’s prasāda through steady sādhana—especially japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with devotion—so that the right discernment of ‘goal and means’ becomes firm.