Shloka 5

Adhyaya 22 — शिवानुग्रहः, ब्रह्मतपः, एकादशरुद्राः तथा प्राणतत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

तावूचतुर्महात्मानौ संनिरीक्ष्य परस्परम् भगवान् किं तु यत्ते ऽद्य न विज्ञानं त्वया विभो

Transliteration

tāvūcaturmahātmānau saṃnirīkṣya parasparam bhagavān kiṃ tu yatte 'dya na vijñānaṃ tvayā vibho

Translation

Da blickten die beiden großherzigen Wesen einander an und sprachen: „O gesegneter Herr! Doch wie kommt es, dass heute, o Allgegenwärtiger, diese wahre Unterscheidung von dir nicht erlangt ist?“

Word by Word

• ताव् (tāv): those two

• ऊचतुः (ūcatuḥ): said (the two of them)

• महात्मानौ (mahātmānau): the two great-souled ones

• संनिरीक्ष्य (saṃnirīkṣya): having looked closely

• परस्परम् (parasparam): at each other/mutually

• भगवान् (bhagavān): O Blessed Lord

• किम् तु (kiṃ tu): but/however/indeed

• यत् (yat): that/which

• ते (te): to/for you

• अद्य (adya): today/now

• न (na): not

• विज्ञानम् (vijñānam): true knowledge/discriminative realization

• त्वया (tvayā): by you

• विभो (vibho): O all-pervading mighty one

Speaker

Two great beings (likely Brahma and Vishnu within Suta’s narration)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the central Purāṇic theme that mere power or status is insufficient without vijñāna—right recognition of Pati (Śiva) as the supreme reality, which Linga-worship is meant to awaken.

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

By addressing the Lord as “Vibhu” (all-pervading), it implies Shiva-tattva as omnipresent and transcendent, not grasped by ordinary cognition; true realization (vijñāna) is required to know Him as Pati beyond pasha-bound limitation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights jñāna/vijñāna as the inner limb of practice—aligned with Pāśupata orientation—where worship and austerity must culminate in discriminative realization that frees the pashu from pasha through recognition of Pati.