Shloka 14

Kāla-vañcana (Overcoming/Outwitting Time) and the Pañcabhūta Basis of the Body

Devanagari script

शङ्कर उवाच । पंचभूतात्मको देहस्सदायुक्तस्तु तद्गुणैः । उत्पाद्यते वरारोहे तद्विलीनो हि पार्थिवः

Transliteration

śaṅkara uvāca | paṃcabhūtātmako dehassadāyuktastu tadguṇaiḥ | utpādyate varārohe tadvilīno hi pārthivaḥ

Translation

Śaṅkara said: “O fair-hipped one, the body is made of the five great elements and is ever joined to their qualities. It is produced from the earthly element and, indeed, in the end it dissolves back into that.”

Word by Word

• शङ्करः: Shankara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पञ्चभूतात्मकः: consisting of the five elements
• पञ्चभूतात्मकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + भूत + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) देहः इत्यस्य

• देहः: body
• देहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• युक्तः: joined/associated
• युक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देहः इत्यस्य विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• तद्गुणैः: with those qualities
• तद्गुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• उत्पाद्यते: is produced/comes into being
• उत्पाद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• वरारोहे: O fair-hipped one (Umā)
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आरोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; संबोधन (address)

• तत्: that (body)
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (देहः/तत्) इत्यर्थे

• विलीनः: dissolved/merged
• विलीनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ली (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (तत्/देहः) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• पार्थिवः: earthly; made of earth
• पार्थिवः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (earthly/pertaining to earth)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Shankara)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Elemental dissolution (bhūta-laya) implied: the body returns to its source, especially earth (pṛthivī).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches dispassion toward the body by showing it is a temporary five-element formation; in Shaiva Siddhanta, this supports turning from pasha (bondage through matter and its qualities) toward Pati (Shiva), the liberating Lord.

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

By contrasting the perishable elemental body with Shiva’s abiding reality, it encourages worship of Saguna Shiva (as Linga) as the stable support for devotion and meditation, leading the mind beyond identification with changing elemental qualities.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is bhuta-shuddhi (purification/contemplation of the five elements) combined with japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating detachment from bodily qualities and steadiness in Shiva-bhakti.