Shloka 54

Adhyaya 4: अहोरात्र-युग-मन्वन्तर-कल्पमान तथा प्रलयान्ते सृष्ट्युपक्रमः

Devanagari script

असंख्याताश् च संक्षेपात् प्रधानाद् अन्वधिष्ठितात् असंख्याताश् च कल्पाख्या ह्य् असंख्याताः पितामहाः

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātāś ca saṃkṣepāt pradhānād anvadhiṣṭhitāt asaṃkhyātāś ca kalpākhyā hy asaṃkhyātāḥ pitāmahāḥ

Translation

From the unmanifest Pradhāna (avyakta)—presided over by the Lord and spoken of here in brief—there arise innumerable cycles called kalpas; and accordingly innumerable Pitāmahas (Brahmās) appear as the cosmic grandsires.

Word by Word

• asaṃkhyātāḥ: innumerable

• ca: and

• saṃkṣepāt: in brief/summary

• pradhānāt: from Pradhāna (primordial unmanifest nature)

• anvadhiṣṭhitāt: presided over/superintended (by the Lord)

• kalpākhyāḥ: named as kalpas (aeons)

• hi: indeed

• asaṃkhyātāḥ: innumerable

• pitāmahāḥ: Pitāmahas, i.e., Brahmās (cosmic grandsires)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Pradhana

FAQs

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

It frames creation as endlessly cyclical and governed by a higher presiding principle; Linga worship centers on that Pati—Shiva—who transcends and oversees Pradhāna and time (kalpa).

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

By implying an ‘adhiṣṭhāna’ (superintendence) over Pradhāna, it points to Shiva-tattva as the conscious Lord (Pati) who regulates manifestation while remaining beyond the unmanifest source.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; the takeaway supports Pāśupata Yoga contemplation—discerning Pati (Shiva) as distinct from Pradhāna (prakṛti) and from the changing kalpas that bind the paśu through pasha.