Shloka 19

शिवस्य पञ्चब्रह्मावतारवर्णनम्

Description of Shiva’s Pañcabrahma Avatāras

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा ध्यानसंयुक्तं ज्ञात्वा तत्पुरुषं शिवम् । प्रणनाम ततो बुद्ध्या गायत्रीं शांकरीं विधिः

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā dhyānasaṃyuktaṃ jñātvā tatpuruṣaṃ śivam | praṇanāma tato buddhyā gāyatrīṃ śāṃkarīṃ vidhiḥ

Translation

Seeing Him absorbed in meditation and recognizing Him as Śiva in the Tatpuruṣa form, Vidhi (Brahmā) bowed with reverent understanding and invoked the Śāṃkarī Gāyatrī.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having seen’

• ध्यान-संयुक्तम्: joined with meditation; meditative
• ध्यान-संयुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √युज्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-viseshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तः (Absolutive/Gerund), ‘having known/recognized’

• तत्-पुरुषम्: Tatpuruṣa (aspect/person)
• तत्-पुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• प्रणनाम: bowed down
• प्रणनाम: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Desha/Kala-adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• बुद्ध्या: with (his) intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• गायत्रीम्: Gāyatrī (mantra/goddess)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• शांकरीम्: Śaṅkarī; belonging to Śaṅkara
• शांकरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शांकरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (गायत्रीम् इति)

• विधिः: Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana account to the sages, with Brahma as the acting character in the verse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Models the correct response to divine revelation: recognition (pratyabhijñā-like ‘jñātvā’) followed by praṇāma and mantra-upāsanā, leading to grace.

Mantra Metadata

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Deity-epiphany within cosmogonic narrative; recognition of pañcavaktra aspect (Tatpuruṣa) as governing presence.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma (Vidhi)
• Tatpurusha

FAQs

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

The verse presents the Shaiva Siddhanta movement from mere sight to true recognition (jñāna): Brahmā perceives Shiva as the meditative Lord (Pati) and responds with humility (praṇāma) and mantra-invocation, showing that liberation-oriented knowledge is completed by devotion and surrender.

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

By naming Shiva as Tatpuruṣa, the text points to Saguna revelation—Shiva known through a specific, worshipable aspect. This supports formal upāsanā (mantra and reverence) that culminates in recognizing the one Shiva behind all forms, including Linga worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditative absorption (dhyāna) is honored as Shiva’s own state, and the devotee’s response is praṇāma plus mantra-japa—here, the Śāṃkarī Gāyatrī—indicating a Shaiva practice of contemplation followed by mantra recitation with clear understanding (buddhi).