Shloka 38

शिशुकस्य शिवशास्त्रप्राप्तिः (Śiśuka’s Attainment of Śaiva Teaching and Grace)

Devanagari script

सर्वस्मादधिको ऽस्त्येव शिवः परमकारणम् । तत्कृतं हि जगत्सर्वं ब्रह्माद्यास्तस्य किंकराः

Transliteration

sarvasmādadhiko 'styeva śivaḥ paramakāraṇam | tatkṛtaṃ hi jagatsarvaṃ brahmādyāstasya kiṃkarāḥ

Translation

Indeed, Śiva is superior to all and is the Supreme Cause. From Him alone this entire universe is brought forth; even Brahmā and the other deities are but His attendants.

Word by Word

• सर्वस्मात्: from all, than all
• सर्वस्मात्: Apādāna (अपादान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अधिकः: greater, superior
• अधिकः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Existence)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परम-कारणम्: the supreme cause
• परम-कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (‘supreme’ + ‘cause’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र विधेय (predicate)

• तत्-कृतम्: made by him
• तत्-कृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘by him’), क्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; जगत्-विशेषणम्

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेतौ/अवधान (for/indeed)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; जगत्-विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म-आद्याः: Brahmā and the others
• ब्रह्म-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (‘Brahmā and others’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• किंकराः: servants
• किंकराः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva doctrine to the sages of Naimisharanya, as typical of Purana discourse in the Vāyavīya Saṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmogony (origin of jagat from the Supreme Cause)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It establishes Śiva as Pati—the transcendent Lord and Supreme Cause—while all other powers, including Brahmā, function under His sovereignty; realizing this hierarchy turns devotion toward the ultimate source of both bondage and liberation.

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

If Śiva is the Supreme Cause, then the Śiva-liṅga is worshiped as the accessible Saguna support (ālambana) of that supreme reality—honoring the liṅga is honoring the very source from which the cosmos and the gods arise.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A direct takeaway is to center one’s sādhana on Śiva as the highest—japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with liṅga-dhyāna, optionally accompanied by bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as Shaiva marks of single-pointed refuge in Śiva.