Shloka 28

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

तत्तद्विद्धि चतुर्वक्त्र सर्वं मन्मयमित्यथ मया सृष्टं पुराव्यक्तं चतुर्विंशतिकं स्वयम्

Transliteration

tattadviddhi caturvaktra sarvaṃ manmayamityatha mayā sṛṣṭaṃ purāvyaktaṃ caturviṃśatikaṃ svayam

Translation

Wisse dies, o viergesichtiger Brahmā: All dies ist allein von Mir durchdrungen. Zu Beginn brachte Ich Selbst das Unmanifestierte (avyakta) hervor, und aus ihm traten die vierundzwanzig Prinzipien hervor.

Word by Word

• tattad: that (truth/that very principle)

• viddhi: know (understand)

• catur-vaktra: O four-faced one (Brahmā)

• sarvam: all (the universe)

• mat-mayam: constituted of Me, pervaded by Me

• iti: thus

• atha: then/indeed

• mayā: by Me

• sṛṣṭam: created/emitted

• purā: formerly, in the beginning

• avyaktam: the unmanifest (pradhāna/mūla-prakṛti)

• catur-viṁśatikam: the set of twenty-four (tattvas of prakṛti)

• svayam: by Myself, directly

Speaker

Shiva (Pati) instructing Brahma within Suta’s narration

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It establishes that all manifested reality arises from the Lord and is pervaded by Him; Linga worship is therefore worship of the very ground of both the unmanifest (avyakta) and the manifest tattvas.

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

Shiva is presented as Pati—transcendent yet immanent—who pervades all (mat-maya) while also initiating manifestation from avyakta into the twenty-four principles, remaining distinct from the bonds (pāśa) that limit the pashu (soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A tattva-viveka foundation for Pāśupata Yoga is implied: discern the twenty-four principles as pāśa (objective field) and turn the pashu’s awareness toward Pati, the all-pervading Lord, as the basis for liberation-oriented worship and meditation.