Texts / Śivasaṃhitā / Verse 1.31

Śivasaṃhitā 1.31

Prathamaḥ paṭalaḥ — Jñāna

Sanskrit text

कर्मकाण्डस्य माहात्म्यं ज्ञात्वा योगी त्यजेत्सुधीः ।

Transliteration

karmakāṇḍasya māhātmyaṃ jñātvā yogī tyajetsudhīḥ |

Translation

Those who are not desirous of enjoying the fruits of their actions in this or the next world, should renounce all actions which are done with an eye to their fruits, and having similarly discarded the attachment for the daily and the naimittika acts, should employ themselves in the practice of Yoga. Jnanakanda.

Commentary

Intelligent renunciation as an act of spiritual maturity. The text does not condemn ritual—it acknowledges its greatness—but points to its limit. The advanced yogi, having extracted the value of the path of action, voluntarily transcends it, not out of disdain but through discernment.

The term karmakāṇḍa designates the ritual section of the Vedas, distinct from jñānakāṇḍa (the section of knowledge). The qualifier sudhīḥ (of pure mind, intelligent) indicates that this renunciation is not for everyone: it requires a maturity that only prolonged study and practice can forge.

In the context of the Śivasaṃhitā, this verse marks a fundamental pedagogical transition. Śiva speaks not to beginners in ritual, but to those who have traversed the Vedic path and are prepared for the leap into jñāna. It is the hinge between two worlds of classical yoga.

Key terms

brahman mokṣa ātman
Verse 1.30
All verses
Verse 1.32