Verse 8

Skanda

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शिवाय विष्णुरूपाय शिवरूपाय विष्णवे । शिवस्य हृदयं विष्णुः विष्णोश्च हृदयं शिवः ॥८॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

शिवाय । विष्णु-रूपाय । शिव-रूपाय । विष्णवे । शिवस्य । हृदयम् । विष्णुः । विष्णोः । च । हृदयम् । शिवः ।

IAST Transliteration

śivāya viṣṇurūpāya śivarūpāya viṣṇave | śivasya hṛdayaṁ viṣṇuḥ viṣṇoś ca hṛdayaṁ śivaḥ ||8||

Translation

سلامٌ لِشِيفا المتجلّي في صورةِ فِشنو، ولسِشنو المتجلّي في صورةِ شِيفا. فِشنو هو قلبُ شِيفا، وشِيفا هو قلبُ فِشنو.

Academic Translation

(Salutation) to Śiva who is of the form of Viṣṇu, (and) to Viṣṇu who is of the form of Śiva. Viṣṇu is the heart of Śiva, and Śiva is the heart of Viṣṇu.

Verse Context

• Brahman as one reality appearing as multiple deities (īśvara-abheda); unity of Śiva and Viṣṇu as non-dual theism/Advaita-friendly ekatva
• Mahavakya: Aligns with «सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म» (Sarvaṁ Khalvidaṁ Brahma) in spirit: all forms, including Śiva and Viṣṇu, are expressions of one Brahman; also supports non-difference implied by «तत् त्वम् असि» at the level of essence.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)