Shloka 5

सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Cosmogony and the Roles of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

प्रधानं पुरुषो यत्तन्नित्यं सदसदात्मकम् । प्रधानपुरुषो भूत्वा निर्ममे लोकभावनः

Transliteration

pradhānaṃ puruṣo yattannityaṃ sadasadātmakam | pradhānapuruṣo bhūtvā nirmame lokabhāvanaḥ

Translation

Was Pradhāna heißt und was Puruṣa heißt, ist ewig und hat die Natur sowohl des Manifesten als auch des Unmanifesten. Als geeinter Pradhāna–Puruṣa ließ der Herr—Nährer und Träger der Welten—die Schöpfung entstehen.

Word by Word

• प्रधानम्: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• प्रधानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुरुषः: Puruṣa (spirit/person)
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देशक (correlative)

• नित्यम्: always/eternal
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially: ‘always’)

• सत्: being, existent
• सत्: Samāhāra (समाहार; समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘being/existent’

• असत्: non-being, non-existent
• असत्: Samāhāra (समाहार; समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘non-being/non-existent’

• आत्मकम्: consisting of, having the nature of
• आत्मकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सदसदात्मकम्)

• सदसदात्मकम्: of the nature of both being and non-being
• सदसदात्मकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + असत् + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (सत् च असत् च) + आत्मक; विशेषणम् (यत्/तत्)

• प्रधानपुरुषः: Pradhāna and Puruṣa (as one)
• प्रधानपुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वार्थ (प्रधानश्च पुरुषश्च)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• निर्ममे: created, fashioned
• निर्ममे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्मा (धातु; निर् + मा)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• लोकभावनः: creator/sustainer of the worlds
• लोकभावनः: Karta (कर्ता; विशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक + भावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लोकस्य भावनः = पोषक/उत्पादक)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-sṛṣṭi (cosmic emanation at the beginning of a cycle)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva as the supreme sustainer who, while transcending matter and individual consciousness, governs them and manifests creation through their ordered union—pointing the seeker toward Pati (the Lord) as the ultimate refuge beyond changing nature.

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

The Linga signifies Shiva as the causal ground of both the unmanifest and the manifest; worship of Saguna Shiva (with form) trains the mind to recognize the same Lord as Lokabhāvana, the cosmic source who coordinates Pradhāna and Puruṣa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the inner ruler of both body (Pradhāna) and awareness (Puruṣa), and stabilize the mind with japa of the Panchākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—contemplating Him as the creator and sustainer of all worlds.