Shloka 41

Ṣaḍvidhārtha-Parijñāna: Praṇavārtha and the Sixfold Unity of Meaning (षड्विधार्थपरिज्ञानम् / प्रणवार्थपरिज्ञानम्)

Devanagari script

प्रकृतिस्त्वक्च पाणिश्च स्पर्शो वायुश्च पंचकम् । व्याप्तं पुरुषरूपेण ब्रह्मणैव मुनीश्वर

Transliteration

prakṛtistvakca pāṇiśca sparśo vāyuśca paṃcakam | vyāptaṃ puruṣarūpeṇa brahmaṇaiva munīśvara

Translation

O lord among sages, the fivefold set—Prakṛti (primordial Nature), the skin, the hand, touch, and wind—is pervaded by Brahman Himself in the form of the Puruṣa, the indwelling Conscious Being.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• पाणिः: hand
• पाणिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• स्पर्शः: touch
• स्पर्शः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• पञ्चकम्: the group of five
• पञ्चकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन)

• व्याप्तम्: pervaded
• व्याप्तम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याप् (धातु) → व्याप्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; agreeing with ‘पञ्चकम्’

• पुरुष-रूपेण: by the form of Puruṣa
• पुरुष-रूपेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahman / by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• एव: indeed / alone
• एव: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (निपात)

• मुनि-ईश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनि-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Purusha
• Prakriti
• Vayu

FAQs

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

It teaches that even the sensory and elemental principles (touch, skin, hand, wind) along with Prakriti are not independent—Brahman, realized as the inner Puruṣa, pervades them; liberation comes by seeing Shiva-consciousness as the indweller of all tattvas.

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

Linga-worship trains the mind to recognize the all-pervading Pati (Shiva) beyond names and forms; this verse supports Saguna devotion as a doorway to realizing the same Brahman as the Puruṣa within all embodied experience.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tattva-dhyāna: during japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplate Shiva as the indwelling Puruṣa pervading breath (vāyu) and touch (sparśa), steadying awareness in the witness rather than the senses.