Shloka 50

Devanagari script

यश्चाभिमानी भगवान् भवात्मा पैतामहो वह्निरसुः प्रजानाम् स्वाहा च तस्मात्सुषुवे सुतानां त्रयं त्रयाणां जगतां हिताय

Transliteration

yaścābhimānī bhagavān bhavātmā paitāmaho vahnirasuḥ prajānām svāhā ca tasmātsuṣuve sutānāṃ trayaṃ trayāṇāṃ jagatāṃ hitāya

Translation

Und jener waltende Herr—selbstbewusst (abhimānī), von der Natur Bhavas (Śiva), das Ahnenfeuer Vahni und Lebenshauch der Wesen—zeugte durch Svāhā drei Söhne zum Heil der drei Welten.

Word by Word

• यः (yaḥ): who

• च (ca): and

• अभिमानी (abhimānī): presiding, self-identifying principle

• भगवान् (bhagavān): the Lord, the glorious one

• भवात्मा (bhavātmā): whose essence is Bhava (Śiva-natured)

• पैतामहः (paitāmahaḥ): ancestral, belonging to the Pitāmaha (Brahmā’s line)

• वह्निः (vahniḥ): Fire, Agni

• असुः (asuḥ): life-breath, vital principle

• प्रजानाम् (prajānām): of creatures/progeny

• स्वाहा (svāhā): Svāhā (Agni’s consort

• च (ca): and

• तस्मात् (tasmāt): from him

• सुषुवे (suṣuve): gave birth, produced

• सुतानाम् (sutānām): sons

• त्रयम् (trayam): three

• त्रयाणाम् (trayāṇām): of the three

• जगताम् (jagatām): worlds

• हिताय (hitāya): for the good/welfare.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the creation account to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Bhava)
• Agni (Vahni)
• Svaha
• Brahma (implied by 'paitamaha')

FAQs

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

It links Vedic fire (Agni) and the oblation-power (Svāhā) to a Śiva-natured presiding divinity (Bhava), showing that ritual fire and mantra are grounded in Pati (Śiva) as the inner governor—supporting Linga worship as the worship of the cosmic source behind all rites.

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

Śiva-tattva is implied as the abhimānī (inner presiding consciousness) who becomes the life-breath (asu) within beings and also manifests as the sacred fire (vahni), sustaining creation for the good of the three worlds—Pati pervading and governing all.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse highlights the Vedic homa principle: Svāhā as the personified offering-formula united with Agni. Yogically, it hints at prāṇa (asu) as a divine principle—supporting Pāśupata-oriented inner worship where external rite and internal breath-awareness converge.