Shloka 12

Devanagari script

सा सत्येव जगन्माता विष्णु माताविलासिनी । ब्रह्मेन्द्रचन्द्रवह्न्यर्कदेवादिजननी स्मृता

Transliteration

sā satyeva jaganmātā viṣṇu mātāvilāsinī | brahmendracandravahnyarkadevādijananī smṛtā

Translation

She indeed is Satī—the Mother of the universe—who, in her divine play (līlā), appears as the mother of Viṣṇu; and she is remembered as the progenitrix of Brahmā, Indra, the Moon, Fire, the Sun, and the other gods.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्या: Satī
• सत्या: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नाम (proper name: Satī)

• इव: as/like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• जगत्-माता: mother of the world
• जगत्-माता: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: जगतः माता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णु: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (विष्णोः—Vedic/poetic stem form)

• माता-विलासिनी: the playful mother
• माता-विलासिनी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माता (प्रातिपदिक) + विलासिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive: माता एव विलासिनी), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म-इन्द्र-चन्द्र-वह्नि-अर्क-देव-आदि-जननी: mother of Brahmā, Indra, the Moon, Fire, the Sun, the gods, etc.
• ब्रह्म-इन्द्र-चन्द्र-वह्नि-अर्क-देव-आदि-जननी: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/सूची-पूर्वपद-तत्पुरुष (enumerative determinative: ‘of Brahmā, Indra, Moon, Fire, Sun, gods, etc.’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative verbal idea)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Satī

Role: creative

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Sati
• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Indra
• Chandra
• Agni
• Surya

FAQs

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

The verse proclaims Satī as Jagat-mātā, emphasizing that all cosmic powers and divine offices arise through Śiva’s Śakti; it teaches devotees to see the universe as sustained by the inseparable Śiva–Śakti reality.

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

In Linga/Saguṇa worship, Śiva is adored together with His Śakti; calling Satī the mother of the gods reinforces that worship of Śiva (the Pati) is complete when His manifest power (Śakti) is honored—often symbolized by the Linga with its Śakti aspect.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Śiva–Śakti smaraṇa: meditate on the Linga while mentally offering reverence to Satī/Devī as Jagat-mātā, and repeat the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with the intent of honoring Śiva together with His Śakti.