Shloka 6

Śiva-Śakti Tattva, Varṇa-Rahasya, and Mahāvākya-Bhāvanā

Interpretive Discipline

Devanagari script

स्त्रीपुंरूपस्य जगतः कारणं चान्यथा भवेत् । स तत्त्वमसि इत्येवमुपदेशार्थभावना

Transliteration

strīpuṃrūpasya jagataḥ kāraṇaṃ cānyathā bhavet | sa tattvamasi ityevamupadeśārthabhāvanā

Translation

If the cause of this universe—appearing in the forms of female and male—were other than That Supreme Reality, instruction would be futile. Therefore the contemplative purport of the teaching is expressed as: “Tat tvam asi—Thou art That (the Supreme Lord, Śiva).”

Word by Word

• strī-puṃ-rūpasya: of the female-and-male form
• strī-puṃ-rūpasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + pum/pumān (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः: स्त्री-रूपं च पुं-रूपं च (द्वन्द्व) → स्त्रीपुंरूप; ‘of the female-and-male form’

• jagataḥ: of the world
• jagataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• kāraṇam: cause
• kāraṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक

• bhavet: would be
• bhavet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• saḥ: he/that
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उद्धृत-वाक्ये ‘sa’

• tattvam: that reality/essence
• tattvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उद्धृत-वाक्ये ‘tattvam’

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• iti: thus/“…”
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/निगमनार्थक

• upadeśa-artha-bhāvanā: the conception of the teaching’s meaning
• upadeśa-artha-bhāvanā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upadeśa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: उपदेशस्य अर्थस्य भावना

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: sa tattvam asi

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It asserts that the manifest world of duality (male–female, subject–object) must arise from the one Supreme Cause; otherwise spiritual instruction cannot lead to liberation. The verse frames the teaching as an inward contemplation that recognizes the Supreme Lord as the ultimate reality behind all appearances.

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

The Linga symbolizes the one causal Reality from which all differentiated forms arise. Worship of Saguna Shiva (with form) becomes a direct means to realize the Nirguna ground (formless Supreme) indicated by the teaching—seeing all forms as rooted in Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditative contemplation (bhāvanā) on Shiva as the inner Self and the cause of the universe—supported by japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”—is the implied practice, integrating devotion with non-dual insight.