Shloka 40

शिवस्य पञ्चब्रह्मावतारवर्णनम्

Description of Shiva’s Pañcabrahma Avatāras

Devanagari script

ईशानः शिवरूपश्च गरीयान्प्रथमः स्मृतः । भोक्तारं प्रकृतेः साक्षात्क्षेत्रज्ञमधितिष्ठति

Transliteration

īśānaḥ śivarūpaśca garīyānprathamaḥ smṛtaḥ | bhoktāraṃ prakṛteḥ sākṣātkṣetrajñamadhitiṣṭhati

Translation

Īśāna—of the very form of Śiva—is remembered as the foremost and most exalted. He directly presides over the knower of the field (kṣetrajña), the individual self who experiences Prakṛti, and governs him from within.

Word by Word

• ईशानः: Īśāna
• ईशानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिव-रूपः: having Śiva as (his) form
• शिव-रूपः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'शिवस्य रूपम्' / 'of Śiva-form'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• गरीयान्: greater, more venerable
• गरीयान्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरीयस् (प्रातिपदिक; तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative adjective)

• प्रथमः: first
• प्रथमः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• स्मृतः: is regarded/remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थे 'is considered/remembered'

• भोक्तारम्: the enjoyer
• भोक्तारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतेः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• क्षेत्र-ज्ञम्: the knower of the field (kṣetrajña)
• क्षेत्र-ज्ञम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'क्षेत्रं जानाति' → 'knower of the field'

• अधितिष्ठति: presides over, governs
• अधितिष्ठति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ishana

FAQs

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

The verse establishes Śiva as Īśāna, the supreme Pati—foremost and exalted—who indwells and governs the individual soul (kṣetrajña). It highlights that liberation is possible because the Lord presides over the soul’s experience of Prakṛti and can turn it toward grace and mokṣa.

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

Īśāna is a Saguna revelation of the supreme Śiva who remains the inner ruler. Linga-worship trains the devotee to recognize this indwelling Lord beyond outer nature (Prakṛti), honoring Śiva as both transcendent and immanent—the one who presides over the jīva from within.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as the antaryāmin (inner ruler) while repeating the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and offer bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) with the intent of surrendering the experiencer (bhoktā) to Īśāna, the presiding Lord of consciousness.