Shloka 13

सृष्टिवर्णनम्

Cosmogony and the Roles of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

हिरण्यगर्भो भगवानुषित्वा परिवत्सरम् । तदंडमकरोद्द्वैधं दिवं भूमि च निर्ममे

Transliteration

hiraṇyagarbho bhagavānuṣitvā parivatsaram | tadaṃḍamakaroddvaidhaṃ divaṃ bhūmi ca nirmame

Translation

The Blessed Hiraṇyagarbha (Brahmā), having dwelt for a full year within that cosmic Egg, then split that Egg into two; and from it he fashioned heaven and the earth.

Word by Word

• हिरण्यगर्भः: Hiraṇyagarbha
• हिरण्यगर्भः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्यगर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हिरण्यस्य गर्भः)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य-सम्बन्धे उपपद (appositive)

• उषित्वा: having stayed
• उषित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया—“having dwelt/stayed”

• परिवत्सरम्: for a year
• परिवत्सरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; काल-अवधि (duration)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण—अण्डम् इति

• अण्डम्: egg (cosmic egg)
• अण्डम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अकरोत्: made
• अकरोत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• द्वैधम्: into two parts
• द्वैधम्: Karma-pravacaniya/Result (फल/परिणाम)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वैध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्—“into two”

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्यौः-शब्दस्य), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूमिम्: earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निर्ममे: created/formed
• निर्ममे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मा (धातु) उपसर्ग-निर्
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: division of the cosmic egg and differentiation into heaven and earth

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Hiranyagarbha

FAQs

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

It presents creation as an ordered unfolding: the cosmic Egg matures over time, and Brahmā performs the shaping of realms. In a Shaiva Siddhanta reading, this highlights Brahmā’s role as an instrument of the Supreme (Pati), while the ultimate sovereignty of creation belongs to Shiva.

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

The verse describes the manifest cosmos (saguṇa order) arising in stages. Linga worship centers the devotee on Shiva as the transcendent-immanent source beyond the divided realms of heaven and earth, while still pervading them.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is contemplative japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while meditating on Shiva as the inner Lord who empowers all cosmic functions—creation, preservation, and dissolution—beyond the changing worlds.