Shloka 30

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

तस्मादेव तमोद्रिक्ताद् अहङ्कारादजायत भूततन्मात्रसर्गस्तु भूतादिस्तामसस्तु सः

Transliteration

tasmādeva tamodriktād ahaṅkārādajāyata bhūtatanmātrasargastu bhūtādistāmasastu saḥ

Translation

ومن ذلك الأَهَنْكارا (ahaṅkāra) الذي يغلب عليه التامس (tamas) نشأ خلقُ التَنْماتْرَات (tanmātras) وهي العناصر اللطيفة، وخلقُ البْهوتات (bhūtas) وهي العناصر الكثيفة. وتُسمّى تلك العِلّة بْهوتادي (Bhūtādi)، أي الأَهَنْكارا التامسي.

Word by Word

• तस्मात् (tasmāt): from that

• एव (eva): indeed

• तमः-उद्रिक्तात् (tamaḥ-udriktāt): dominated by darkness/inertia (tamas)

• अहङ्कारात् (ahaṅkārāt): from egoity/ahaṅkāra

• अजायत (ajāyata): was born/arose

• भूत-तन्मात्र-सर्गः (bhūta-tanmātra-sargaḥ): the creation of gross elements and subtle elements

• तु (tu): and/indeed

• भूतादिः (bhūtādiḥ): ‘Bhūtādi’, the origin of elements

• तामसः (tāmasaḥ): tamasic

• तु (tu): indeed

• सः (saḥ): that (principle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the cosmology of manifestation to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga worship in Shaiva cosmology: the devotee (pashu) recognizes that the elements and senses arise from tamasic egoity (pāśa), and turns to Pati (Shiva) as the transcendent source beyond these evolutes, worshipped as the Linga.

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

By implication, Shiva-tattva is distinct from Bhūtādi (tamasic ahaṅkāra) and its products (tanmātras and bhūtas). Shiva stands as Pati—beyond the field of evolutes that bind the pashu—while also being the sovereign ground in which creation is ordered.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pashupata discipline: reduce tamas and egoity through japa, dhyāna, and Shiva-pūjā, discerning the tattvas as pāśa (bondage) and seeking steadiness in Pati-bhāva (orientation to Shiva) rather than identification with the elements.