Shloka 9

शब्दब्रह्मतनुवर्णनम् — Description of the Form of Śabda-Brahman

Devanagari script

निर्द्वंद्वं केवलं शून्यं बाह्याभ्यंतरवर्जितम् । स बाह्यभ्यंतरे चैव बाह्याभ्यंतरसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

nirdvaṃdvaṃ kevalaṃ śūnyaṃ bāhyābhyaṃtaravarjitam | sa bāhyabhyaṃtare caiva bāhyābhyaṃtarasaṃsthitam

Translation

Er ist frei von aller Zweiheit—rein, einzig, jenseits aller Kategorien, gleich dem «Leeren», das sich der Beschreibung entzieht—ohne Unterscheidung von außen und innen. Und doch weilt derselbe Herr als das Innere wie auch das Äußere, gegründet in beiden Bereichen, im Außen wie im Innen.

Word by Word

• निर्द्वन्द्वम्: free from duality
• निर्द्वन्द्वम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्- + द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/नञ्-तुल्य (निर्गतं द्वन्द्वात्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• केवलम्: only, pure
• केवलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शून्यम्: void
• शून्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शून्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• बाह्याभ्यन्तरवर्जितम्: devoid of outer and inner
• बाह्याभ्यन्तरवर्जितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर + वर्जित (वृज्/वर्ज् धातु + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर) पूर्वपद-समाहार + तत्पुरुष (तयोः वर्जितम्); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सः: he/that (Brahman)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• बाह्याभ्यन्तरे: in the outer and the inner
• बाह्याभ्यन्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), द्विवचन/एकवचन-समाहाररूपेण; here सप्तमी-एकवचन (समाहार)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• बाह्याभ्यन्तरसंस्थितम्: situated in the outer and the inner
• बाह्याभ्यन्तरसंस्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर + संस्थित (स्था धातु + सम्-उपसर्ग + क्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद (बाह्य + अभ्यन्तर) + तत्पुरुष (तत्र संस्थितम्); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating Shiva’s transcendent nature to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: This is a nirguṇa–saguṇa reconciliation: Śiva is beyond inner/outer yet immanent as both; it underlies later liṅga-theophany episodes but does not name a jyotirliṅga.

Significance: Meditation on Śiva as both transcendent and immanent supports antar-yāga (inner worship) alongside bāhya-pūjā (outer worship).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva is beyond all opposites and conceptual divisions (nirguṇa/transcendent), yet simultaneously present as the support and indweller of all experience (saguṇa/immanent), guiding the seeker toward liberation through right understanding.

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

The Liṅga symbolizes the very mystery stated here: the formless, indescribable Absolute that can still be approached in a sacred form. Worship begins with form (saguṇa upāsanā) and matures into realization of Śiva as the inner Self and the ground of all.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as both the inner witness and the outer support while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); pair it with simple Śiva-dhyāna and, if practiced, Tripuṇḍra-bhasma and rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and remembrance.