Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 27
बाणस्य शोकः शिवस्मरणं च — Bāṇa’s Grief and the Turn to Śiva-Remembrance
ब्राह्मणं ते मुखं प्राहुर्बाहुं क्षत्रियमेव च । ऊरुजं वैश्यमाहुस्ते पादजं शूद्रमेव च
brāhmaṇaṃ te mukhaṃ prāhurbāhuṃ kṣatriyameva ca | ūrujaṃ vaiśyamāhuste pādajaṃ śūdrameva ca
يُعلِنون أن فمَك هو البراهمة، وأن ذراعَيك هما الكشترية حقًّا. ويقولون إن فخذَيك هما الفيشية، وإن قدميك هما الشودرة—وهكذا يُصوِّرون الطبقات الأربع بوصفها صادرةً عن شخصك الكوني، وظائفَ متمايزة ضمن كُلٍّ مقدّس واحد.
Unspecified in the isolated citation (the verse reports a traditional saying: 'they declare...')
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadyojāta
FAQs
The verse closely echoes the well-known Vedic motif (especially the Puruṣa-sūkta) that maps social orders onto a cosmic body—mouth, arms, thighs, and feet—thereby presenting society as an integrated organism. In Purāṇic contexts, this imagery is often used philosophically to emphasize functional interdependence and a shared sacred source, even while reflecting historical social classifications.