Shloka 42

Adhyaya 23: श्वेत-लोहित-पीत-कृष्ण-विश्व-कल्पेषु रुद्रस्वरूप-गायत्री-तत्त्ववर्णनम्

Devanagari script

यस्माच्चैव क्रिया भूत्वा द्विपदा च महेश्वरी दृष्टा पुनस्तथैवैषा सावित्री लोकभाविनी

Transliteration

yasmāccaiva kriyā bhūtvā dvipadā ca maheśvarī dṛṣṭā punastathaivaiṣā sāvitrī lokabhāvinī

Translation

منه، إذ صارت كِرِيَا-شَكْتِي (قوة الفعل المقدّس)، ظهرت الإلهة العظمى في هيئة بشرية ذات قدمين. ولما شوهدت ثانية على تلك الهيئة عينها، فهي سافِتْرِي—التي تُنْشِئ العوالم وتُقيمها وتَحْفَظها.

Word by Word

• yasmāt: from whom/from that (Pati, the Lord)

• ca eva: indeed, and

• kriyā: action, ritual efficacy, operative power

• bhūtvā: having become/assuming the form of

• dvipadā: two-footed, human-formed

• maheśvarī: the Great Goddess, Śiva’s sovereign Śakti

• dṛṣṭā: was seen/appeared

• punaḥ: again

• tathā eva: just so/in the same way

• eṣā: this (Goddess)

• sāvitrī: Savitrī (solar/vedic creative power

• loka-bhāvinī: world-producing, world-sustaining, creator of beings.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purva-Bhaga creation account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maheshvari
• Savitri

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It identifies Kriyā-śakti as arising from the Lord (Pati) and manifesting as the Goddess who generates the worlds—implying that Linga-pūjā is not mere action, but Śiva’s own power of sanctified action operating to purify the pashu (soul) and align it with the cosmic order.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva-tattva is shown as the source from which operative power (kriyā) becomes manifest; the Lord is Pati, and His Śakti appears as Mahēśvarī/Sāvitrī to project and sustain loka—indicating non-duality-in-function: Pati is the ground, Śakti is the mode of manifestation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Kriyā is foregrounded—pointing to disciplined sacred action (pūjā, mantra-japa, and rule-bound observance) as a Shaiva means that weakens pāśa (bondage) and supports Pāśupata-oriented inner transformation.