Shloka 11

अलिङ्ग-लिङ्ग-निरूपणं तथा प्राकृत-सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

शिवेन दृष्टा प्रकृतिः शैवी समभवद्द्विजाः सर्गादौ सा गुणैर्युक्ता पुराव्यक्ता स्वभावतः

Transliteration

śivena dṛṣṭā prakṛtiḥ śaivī samabhavaddvijāḥ sargādau sā guṇairyuktā purāvyaktā svabhāvataḥ

Translation

O twice-born sages, when Śiva beheld Prakṛti, she became Śaivī at the very dawn of creation; by her own nature she was formerly unmanifest, yet then she stood endowed with the guṇas.

Word by Word

• शिवेन (śivena): by Śiva

• दृष्टा (dṛṣṭā): beheld/seen (graced by awareness)

• प्रकृतिः (prakṛtiḥ): Prakṛti, primordial Nature

• शैवी (śaivī): belonging to Śiva/Śiva-powered

• समभवत् (samabhavat): became/arose as

• द्विजाः (dvijāḥ): O twice-born (Brāhmaṇas/sages)

• सर्गादौ (sargādau): at the beginning of creation

• सा (sā): she/that (Prakṛti)

• गुणैः (guṇaiḥ): with the guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas)

• युक्ता (yuktā): endowed/connected

• पुरा (purā): formerly

• अव्यक्ता (avyaktā): unmanifest

• स्वभावतः (svabhāvataḥ): by inherent nature

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Prakriti

FAQs

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

It frames creation as arising when Prakṛti is activated by Śiva’s conscious power; Linga worship similarly centers on recognizing the manifest world as Śiva-śakti (Śaivī) rather than mere materiality.

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

Śiva is shown as the Pati whose awareness/śakti initiates manifestation—Prakṛti remains avyaktā until touched by Śiva’s sovereignty, after which the guṇas become operative.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A key Pāśupata takeaway is guṇa-viveka (discernment of the guṇas): the yogin sees bondage (pāśa) as guṇa-driven Prakṛti and turns the mind toward Pati (Śiva) through Śiva-dhyāna and Linga-upāsanā.