Shloka 25

अद्वैतशैवसिद्धान्ते पुरुष-प्रकृति-विचारः

Puruṣa–Prakṛti Analysis in Advaita Śaiva Doctrine

Devanagari script

जातानि पञ्च भूतानि कलाभ्य इति निश्चितम् । स्थूलप्रपञ्चरूपाणि तानि भूतपतेर्वपुः

Transliteration

jātāni pañca bhūtāni kalābhya iti niścitam | sthūlaprapañcarūpāṇi tāni bhūtapatervapuḥ

Translation

It is certain that the five great elements are born from the divine kalās, the emanatory powers. Those elements, assuming the form of the gross manifested universe, are indeed the very body of Bhūtapati, Śiva the Lord of beings.

Word by Word

• जातानि: born; produced
• जातानि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘born/produced’—भूतानि इति विशेषण

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या-विशेषण; नपुंसक-बहुवचनार्थे ‘five’—भूतानि इति विशेषण

• भूतानि: elements; beings (here: elements)
• भूतानि: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कलाभ्यः: from the kalās (parts/energies)
• कलाभ्यः: Apādāna (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक (quotative)

• निश्चितम्: is determined; is certain
• निश्चितम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-चित् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः—‘it is ascertained/decided’

• स्थूलप्रपञ्चरूपाणि: having the form of the gross manifest world
• स्थूलप्रपञ्चरूपाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल-प्रपञ्च-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—स्थूलः प्रपञ्चः (कर्मधारय) + तस्य रूपाणि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भूतपतेः: of the Lord of beings/elements
• भूतपतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूतपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—भूतानां पतिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• वपुः: body; form
• वपुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasha Samhita teaching tradition to the sages, with Śaiva philosophical framing)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmic embodiment: mahābhūtas as the ‘body’ of Bhūtapati

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that the entire gross cosmos (made of the five elements) is an emanation from Śiva’s kalās and is sustained in Him; seeing the world as Śiva’s vapuḥ cultivates reverence, non-duality-in-devotion, and detachment that supports liberation.

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

If the five elements form the manifested body of Bhūtapati, then the Liṅga is worshipped as the transcendent-and-immanent sign of Śiva who pervades the elements while also exceeding them—supporting Saguna upāsanā that leads the devotee toward Nirguna realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is pañca-bhūta-śuddhi (purifying contemplation of earth, water, fire, air, and space) while repeating the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and offering simple bhūta-symbolic upacāras (water, lamp, incense) to the Śiva-liṅga with the insight that all elements belong to Him.