Shloka 36
सृष्टिपद्धतिवर्णनम्
Exposition of the Supreme Method of Creation and the Tirodhāna-Cakra
जगत्सृष्टावपि मुने कृत्यानां च पंचकं विभोः । अस्ति कालोदयस्तत्र देवताः परिकीर्त्तिताः
jagatsṛṣṭāvapi mune kṛtyānāṃ ca paṃcakaṃ vibhoḥ | asti kālodayastatra devatāḥ parikīrttitāḥ
O sage, even in the creation of the universe, the all-pervading Lord possesses a fivefold set of cosmic functions. There too the arising of Kāla, Time, is present, and the presiding deities have been duly enumerated.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
The verse presents Śiva as Vibhu (all-pervading) whose governance of creation operates through a fivefold divine activity (pañcakṛtya). It highlights that Time (kāla) itself arises within this order, indicating that worldly change and karmic experience unfold under Śiva’s supreme lordship—supporting a Shaiva Siddhanta view where Pati alone is sovereign over the cosmos and liberation.
In Linga worship, the devotee approaches Saguna Śiva as the accessible Lord who performs and regulates the cosmic functions through His śakti and appointed deities. Meditating on the Linga as the axis of creation helps one see Time and change as contained within Śiva, turning worship into a means of transcending temporal bondage (kāla-pāśa).
A practical takeaway is pañcakṛtya-bhāvanā: during japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplate Śiva as the doer of the five cosmic acts and as the Lord of Time. This can be paired with simple Linga-dhyāna (steady gaze/attention on the Linga) to internalize detachment from time-bound fluctuations.