Shloka 8

Adhyaya 70: आदिसर्गः—महत्-अहङ्कार-तन्मात्रा-भूतसृष्टिः, ब्रह्माण्डावरणम्, प्रजासर्गः, त्रिमूर्ति-शैवाधिष्ठानम्

Devanagari script

महन्त् सर्गकाले प्रधानस्य क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितस्य वै गुणभावाद्व्यज्यमानो महान् प्रादुर्बभूव ह

Transliteration

mahant sargakāle pradhānasya kṣetrajñādhiṣṭhitasya vai guṇabhāvādvyajyamāno mahān prādurbabhūva ha

Translation

Zur Zeit der Schöpfung, wenn Pradhāna (die uranfängliche Natur) vom Kṣetrajña (dem im Innern wohnenden bewussten Herrn) beherrscht wird, tritt durch das Aufwallen der Guṇas das Große Prinzip, Mahat, hervor.

Word by Word

• महान् (mahān): the Great Principle (Mahat-tattva)

• सर्गकाले (sarga-kāle): at the time of creation

• प्रधानस्य (pradhānasya): of Pradhāna (primordial Nature)

• क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितस्य (kṣetrajña-adhiṣṭhitasya): presided over/ensouled by the Kṣetrajña (knower of the field, Consciousness)

• वै (vai): indeed

• गुणभावात् (guṇa-bhāvāt): from the activation/state of the guṇas

• व्यज्यमानः (vyajyamānaḥ): being manifested/made explicit

• प्रादुर्बभूव (prādurbabhūva): arose, came forth

• ह (ha): emphatic particle

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It grounds Linga worship in Shaiva metaphysics: the Linga signifies Pati (Shiva) as the presiding Consciousness (Kṣetrajña) by whose presence Pradhāna becomes productive and the cosmos begins with Mahat.

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

Shiva is indicated as the Kṣetrajña—transcendent yet immanent—who adhiṣṭhāna (presides over) Pradhāna, initiating manifestation without Himself becoming a product of the guṇas.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A direct ritual is not specified; the takeaway aligns with Pāśupata Yoga’s viveka: meditate on Pati (Shiva) as the witnessing Kṣetrajña distinct from Pāśa (guṇas/prakṛti), by which the Pashu (soul) moves toward liberation.