Shloka 106

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

स्वयंवेद्यमवेद्यं तच् छिवं ज्ञानमयं परम् अतीन्द्रियम् अनाभासं परं तत्त्वं परात्परम्

Transliteration

svayaṃvedyamavedyaṃ tac chivaṃ jñānamayaṃ param atīndriyam anābhāsaṃ paraṃ tattvaṃ parātparam

Translation

Jener Śiva ist aus sich selbst offenbar und doch kein Gegenstand gewöhnlichen Erkennens; er ist die höchste Fülle des Bewusstseins‑Wissens (jñāna), jenseits der Sinne, ohne weltliche Erscheinung, die höchste Wirklichkeit, über das Höchste hinaus.

Word by Word

• svayaṁ-vedyam: self-known/self-revealing

• avedyam: not knowable (as an object)

• tat: that

• śivam: Shiva/the auspicious Lord (Pati)

• jñāna-mayam: consisting of pure consciousness/knowledge

• param: supreme

• atīndriyam: beyond the senses

• an-ābhāsam: without manifestation/phenomenal appearance

• param tattvam: the supreme principle/reality

• parāt-param: higher than the highest/transcendent beyond all

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva-tattva teaching within the Purva-Bhaga discourse to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the Linga as the sign of the supreme, formless Shiva—self-revealing and beyond sensory grasp—so worship is meant to turn the pashu (soul) from outward objects to the Pati (Lord) who is pure consciousness.

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

Shiva is described as svayaṁvedya (self-luminous), not an objectified knowable (avedya), atīndriya (beyond senses), anābhāsa (free from phenomenal projection), and parātpara—the transcendent Reality beyond all categories.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse supports Pashupata-oriented jñāna and dhyāna: sense-withdrawal and contemplative recognition of Shiva as self-revealing consciousness rather than merely externalized ritual perception.