Shloka 5

पुराणश्रवणप्रस्तावः

Prologue to the Recitation of the Śaiva Purāṇa

Devanagari script

वेदांतवेद्यं सद्वस्तु विशेषेण प्रवर्णितम्

Transliteration

vedāṃtavedyaṃ sadvastu viśeṣeṇa pravarṇitam

Translation

That Real Being—knowable through the Vedānta—has been described here with particular clarity and distinction.

Word by Word

• vedāntavedyam: knowable through Vedānta
• vedāntavedyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of vastu)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vedānta (प्रातिपदिक) + vedya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc./प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: vedānta-vedya = ‘knowable through Vedānta’

• sat: true/real
• sat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of vastu)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc./प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• vastu: reality/thing (substance)
• vastu: Karma (कर्म/Object; of pravarṇitam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc./प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially/in detail
• viśeṣeṇa: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverbial instrumental/क्रियाविशेषण-तृतीया) from noun viśeṣa; ‘in a special manner’

• pravarṇitam: has been described
• pravarṇitam: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√varṇ (धातु) + kta (क्त) → pravarṇita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle/क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP), Napuṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसक), Prathamā/ Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc./प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); used predicatively: ‘has been described’ (karmaṇi प्रयोग)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Doctrinal, not topographical: identifies Śiva as the Vedānta-knowable sat-vastu, aligning Purāṇic teaching with Upaniṣadic pramāṇa.

Significance: Encourages jñāna-tīrtha: study/hearing that refines understanding of Śiva as ultimate reality, supporting liberation (mokṣa) through right knowledge.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It identifies Shiva as the Sat—ultimate Reality—who is realized through Vedāntic inquiry and inner awakening, indicating that devotion and knowledge converge in recognizing Pati (Shiva) as the highest truth.

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

While Vedānta points to the formless Real, the Shiva Purana presents the Linga and Saguna Shiva as accessible supports through which the same Satvastu is approached—leading the devotee from symbol and form toward direct realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Vedāntic contemplation on Shiva as Sat, supported by japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and steady meditation on the Linga as the visible sign of the invisible Supreme.