Shloka 17
शिवस्य पञ्चब्रह्मावतारवर्णनम्
Description of Shiva’s Pañcabrahma Avatāras
एकविंशतिमः कल्पः पीतवासा इति स्मृतः । ब्रह्मा यत्र महाभागः पीतवासा बभूव ह
ekaviṃśatimaḥ kalpaḥ pītavāsā iti smṛtaḥ | brahmā yatra mahābhāgaḥ pītavāsā babhūva ha
The twenty-first aeon (kalpa) is remembered as “Pītavāsā.” In that (kalpa), the greatly fortunate Brahmā indeed became one who was clad in yellow garments.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Significance: Frames creation within kalpa-cycles, reminding pilgrims that cosmic order and roles (like Brahmā’s) are time-bound and governed by the Supreme.
Cosmic Event: Designation of the 21st kalpa as Pītavāsā; cyclical cosmology (kalpa-bheda).
FAQs
It situates the narration within a specific cosmic cycle (the Pītavāsā Kalpa), reminding the seeker that creation and its rulers are time-bound, while Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) remains the transcendent ground beyond kalpas.
By marking the kalpa and Brahmā’s state, the text frames the changing conditions of manifested divinity; in Shaiva understanding, such changes point the devotee toward steady refuge in Saguna Śiva (often worshiped as the Liṅga) who presides over and outlasts these cycles.
No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; the practical takeaway is contemplative—meditate on the impermanence of cosmic roles and stabilize devotion through Śiva-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”