Shloka 27

Paramātma-Svarūpa-Nirṇaya: Strī–Puṃ–Napuṃsaka-Vicāra

Inquiry into the Supreme Self and Gendered Forms

Devanagari script

प्रकाशवाची स भवेत्सत्प्रकाश इति स्फुटम् । ज्ञानशब्दस्य पर्य्यायश्चिच्छब्दः स्त्रीत्वमागतः

Transliteration

prakāśavācī sa bhavetsatprakāśa iti sphuṭam | jñānaśabdasya paryyāyaścicchabdaḥ strītvamāgataḥ

Translation

Sie ist die Sprecherin des Lichtes; darum wird sie deutlich „Sat-prakāśa“ genannt, das wahre Erleuchten. Das Wort „Cit“ ist ein Synonym von „jñāna“ (Erkenntnis/Wissen) und erscheint hier in weiblicher Form.

Word by Word

• prakāśa-vācī: denoting 'light'
• prakāśa-vācī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + vācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (prakāśaṃ vācayati/abhidhatte iti); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• saḥ: it/he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

• bhavet: would be / should be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Vidhi-liṅ, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• sat-prakāśaḥ: true light / real illumination
• sat-prakāśaḥ: Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (sat eva prakāśaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• iti: thus
• iti: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्धरण/इत्यर्थ (quotative particle)

• sphuṭam: clearly
• sphuṭam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative)

• jñāna-śabdasya: of the word 'jñāna'
• jñāna-śabdasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (jñānasya śabdaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• paryāyaḥ: synonym
• paryāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paryāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• cit-śabdaḥ: the word 'cit'
• cit-śabdaḥ: Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cit (प्रातिपदिक) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (cit iti śabdaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• strītvam: femininity (feminine gender)
• strītvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strītva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• āgataḥ: has attained / has come to
• āgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasha Samhita’s philosophical teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalita

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It identifies Cit (consciousness/knowledge) as luminous revelation—“true light”—showing that liberation arises when Shiva’s light of awareness removes pasha (bondage) through jñāna.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Linga-worship trains the mind to recognize Shiva as prakāśa (self-luminous reality). The verse supports saguna upasana as a doorway to realizing the inner cit-prakāśa that the Linga signifies.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as inner light (cit-prakāśa) while repeating the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” letting awareness rest in clarity rather than thoughts.