Shloka 40

वीरभद्र-भैरव-आह्वानम् — Invocation of Vīrabhadra/Bhairava for Cosmic Reabsorption

Devanagari script

प्रकृतिस्त्वं पुमान्रुद्रस्त्वयि वीर्य्यं समाहितम् । त्वन्नाभिपङ्कजाज्जातः पञ्च वक्त्रः पितामहः

Transliteration

prakṛtistvaṃ pumānrudrastvayi vīryyaṃ samāhitam | tvannābhipaṅkajājjātaḥ pañca vaktraḥ pitāmahaḥ

Translation

O Rudra, You are Prakṛti, and You are also the Puruṣa. Within You the creative potency is perfectly gathered. From the lotus of Your navel was born the Grandsire—Brahmā, the five-faced one.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti, nature
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• पुमान्: the male/person (Puruṣa)
• पुमान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: सम्बोधन/विशेष्य-परिचय (Appositional identifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वयि: in you
• त्वयि: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• वीर्यम्: power, potency
• वीर्यम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अत्र कर्तृ/कर्म-सम्भाव्य (contextual)

• समाहितम्: placed/collected, established
• समाहितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘वीर्यम्’ इति विशेषण

• त्वत्: your/from you
• त्वत्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थे (genitival base) अव्ययवत्-पूर्वपद; ‘त्वत्-’ (from you/your)

• नाभि: navel
• नाभि: सम्बन्ध (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (compound member)

• पङ्कजात्: from the lotus
• पङ्कजात्: अपादान (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्कज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; ‘पङ्कज’ = कमल

• जातः: born, arisen
• जातः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘उत्पन्नः’

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; ‘वक्त्रः’ इति विशेषण

• वक्त्रः: faced; having faces
• वक्त्रः: विशेष्य/उपाधि (Epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुवचनार्थे एकवचन-प्रयोगः (collective/epithet)

• पितामहः: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: पिता + अमह (grandfather) → पितामह

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmic emanation: Brahmā’s birth from the Lord (navel-lotus motif)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It declares Rudra (Śiva) as the complete Reality—both the conscious Lord (Puruṣa/Pati) and the ground of manifested nature (Prakṛti). In Shaiva Siddhānta language, it points to Śiva as the supreme cause who holds the power of manifestation, while remaining the transcendent Lord who grants liberation.

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

By describing creation arising from Śiva (Brahmā born from His navel-lotus), the verse supports Saguna worship: the Linga and Śiva’s forms are revered as the living source of the cosmos. Linga-pūjā thus becomes worship of the very origin and support of all tattvas, not merely a symbol.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as both immanent and transcendent while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” visualizing the universe arising and dissolving in Him. As a simple ritual support, perform Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) application with remembrance of Śiva as the inner Puruṣa who governs Prakṛti.