Shloka 23

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

सदसद्व्यक्तमव्यक्तं यमाहुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः । नित्यमेकमनेकं च वरं तस्माद्वृणोम्यहम्

Transliteration

sadasadvyaktamavyaktaṃ yamāhurbrahmavādinaḥ | nityamekamanekaṃ ca varaṃ tasmādvṛṇomyaham

Translation

I choose that Supreme Boon—Him whom the knowers of Brahman describe as being beyond both being and non-being, as both manifest and unmanifest; as eternal; as the One and also the many.

Word by Word

• सत्: being; existent
• सत्: Visheshya (विशेष्य/part of predicate description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc) एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (member in dvandva)

• असत्: non-being; non-existent
• असत्: Visheshya (विशेष्य/part of predicate description)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• व्यक्तम्: manifest
• व्यक्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of यम्)

• अव्यक्तम्: unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of यम्)

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of आहुः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• आहुः: they call; they say
• आहुः: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्म-वादिनः: the expounders of Brahman
• ब्रह्म-वादिनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्रह्मणः वादिनः’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• नित्यम्: eternal
• नित्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of यम्)

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अनेकम्: many; manifold
• अनेकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

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

• वरम्: boon
• वरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of वृणोमि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: from him/that (therefore)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• वृणोमि: I choose; I request
• वृणोमि: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/supplicant within the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā discourse (narrated in the Shiva Purana tradition, commonly transmitted by Suta to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: सदसद्व्यक्तमव्यक्तं यमाहुर्ब्रह्मवादिनः । नित्यमेकमनेकं च वरं तस्माद्वृणोम्यहम्

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva (Pati) as the highest refuge—transcending conceptual opposites like existence/non-existence and manifest/unmanifest—so the seeker chooses Him alone as the supreme boon, implying liberation through turning toward the Absolute.

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

The verse supports both: Shiva is beyond form (avyakta) yet also knowable in form (vyakta). Linga-worship honors this unity—aniconic symbol pointing to the formless while allowing devotion to the approachable Saguna reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is single-pointed orientation to Shiva as the chosen goal—practically expressed through japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and contemplative meditation on Shiva as both transcendent (nirguṇa) and immanent (saguṇa).