Shloka 42

प्रलय-तत्त्वलयः, नीललोहित-रुद्रः, अष्टमूर्तिस्तवः, एवं ब्रह्मणो वैराग्यम्

Devanagari script

जहौ प्राणांश् च भगवान् क्रोधाविष्टः प्रजापतिः ततः प्राणमयो रुद्रः प्रादुरासीत्प्रभोर्मुखात्

Transliteration

jahau prāṇāṃś ca bhagavān krodhāviṣṭaḥ prajāpatiḥ tataḥ prāṇamayo rudraḥ prādurāsītprabhormukhāt

Translation

Vom Zorn überwältigt, stieß der ehrwürdige Prajāpati seine Lebenshauche aus; und aus dem Mund des Herrn trat Rudra hervor, aus prāṇa selbst gebildet—Pati, das souveräne Prinzip, das später den paśu (die gebundene Seele) vom pāśa (der Fessel) befreit.

Word by Word

• जहौ (jahau): cast off, emitted

• प्राणान् (prāṇān): vital breaths, life-forces

• च (ca): and

• भगवान् (bhagavān): the venerable lord, the blessed one

• क्रोधाविष्टः (krodhāviṣṭaḥ): possessed/overwhelmed by anger

• प्रजापतिः (prajāpatiḥ): Prajāpati (Lord of creatures, typically Brahmā in creation-context)

• ततः (tataḥ): then, thereafter

• प्राणमयः (prāṇamayaḥ): consisting of prāṇa, made of life-force

• रुद्रः (rudraḥ): Rudra (Śiva as the fierce, transformative Lord)

• प्रादुरासीत् (prādurāsīt): became manifest, appeared

• प्रभोः (prabhoḥ): of the Lord

• मुखात् (mukhāt): from the mouth.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages; internal event describes Prajāpati/Brahmā’s act)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Prajapati (Brahma)

FAQs

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

It frames Rudra’s emergence as a primal, life-force (prāṇa) manifestation—supporting the Linga as the formless Pati-principle behind all embodied life, worthy of worship beyond mere anthropomorphic form.

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

Shiva appears as Rudra “made of prāṇa,” indicating his immanence within all beings as their inner vitality while remaining the transcendent Pati who can sever pāśa and restore the paśu to freedom.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A prāṇa-centered Shaiva reading aligns with Pāśupata Yoga: disciplining prāṇa (breath-life) as a means to purify the paśu and orient consciousness toward Pati, the Rudra principle.