Shloka 11

अलिङ्ग-लिङ्ग-निरूपणं तथा प्राकृत-सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

शिवेन दृष्टा प्रकृतिः शैवी समभवद्द्विजाः सर्गादौ सा गुणैर्युक्ता पुराव्यक्ता स्वभावतः

Transliteration

śivena dṛṣṭā prakṛtiḥ śaivī samabhavaddvijāḥ sargādau sā guṇairyuktā purāvyaktā svabhāvataḥ

Translation

يا أيها الحكماء المولودون مرتين، لما نظر شيفا إلى براكريتي صارت شَيْفِيّةً في مطلع الخلق؛ وكانت بطبيعتها من قبل غير متجلّية، ثم قامت حينئذٍ متّصفةً بالغونات الثلاث.

Word by Word

• शिवेन (śivena): by Śiva

• दृष्टा (dṛṣṭā): beheld/seen (graced by awareness)

• प्रकृतिः (prakṛtiḥ): Prakṛti, primordial Nature

• शैवी (śaivī): belonging to Śiva/Śiva-powered

• समभवत् (samabhavat): became/arose as

• द्विजाः (dvijāḥ): O twice-born (Brāhmaṇas/sages)

• सर्गादौ (sargādau): at the beginning of creation

• सा (sā): she/that (Prakṛti)

• गुणैः (guṇaiḥ): with the guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas)

• युक्ता (yuktā): endowed/connected

• पुरा (purā): formerly

• अव्यक्ता (avyaktā): unmanifest

• स्वभावतः (svabhāvataḥ): by inherent nature

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Prakriti

FAQs

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

It frames creation as arising when Prakṛti is activated by Śiva’s conscious power; Linga worship similarly centers on recognizing the manifest world as Śiva-śakti (Śaivī) rather than mere materiality.

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

Śiva is shown as the Pati whose awareness/śakti initiates manifestation—Prakṛti remains avyaktā until touched by Śiva’s sovereignty, after which the guṇas become operative.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A key Pāśupata takeaway is guṇa-viveka (discernment of the guṇas): the yogin sees bondage (pāśa) as guṇa-driven Prakṛti and turns the mind toward Pati (Śiva) through Śiva-dhyāna and Linga-upāsanā.