Shloka 21

तपसो महिमा

The Greatness and Typology of Tapas

Devanagari script

तुरीयं तदधो बुद्धिरणिमाद्यष्टसंयुतम् । पूर्वोत्तमं समुद्दिष्टं परज्ञानप्रसाधनम्

Transliteration

turīyaṃ tadadho buddhiraṇimādyaṣṭasaṃyutam | pūrvottamaṃ samuddiṣṭaṃ parajñānaprasādhanam

Translation

Por debajo de ese cuarto estado (turyā) está la buddhi, la facultad del intelecto, dotada de los ocho poderes que comienzan con aṇimā. Esto ha sido declarado como lo más excelso entre los principios interiores anteriores, y se vuelve medio para alcanzar el conocimiento supremo.

Word by Word

• तुरीयम्: the fourth (state/level)
• तुरीयम्: Visheshya/Visheshana (विशेष्य/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुरीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (fourth)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अधः: below; beneath
• अधः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “below/down”)

• बुद्धिः: intellect; understanding
• बुद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता) / Vishaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अणिमा-आदि-अष्ट-सम्युतम्: endowed with the eight (powers) beginning with aṇimā
• अणिमा-आदि-अष्ट-सम्युतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अणिमा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सम्युत (कृदन्त; सम्+युज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) सम्युत = “joined/possessed”; समासः—अणिमाद्यष्टसंयुत (having the eight beginning with aṇimā)

• पूर्व-उत्तमम्: foremost; earlier-and-best
• पूर्व-उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—“former and best / foremost”

• समुद्दिष्टम्: declared; indicated
• समुद्दिष्टम्: Karma (कर्म) / Bhava (भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+दिश् (धातु) → समुद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) “indicated/declared”

• पर-ज्ञान-प्रसाधनम्: a means for attaining supreme knowledge
• पर-ज्ञान-प्रसाधनम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन) / Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—परज्ञानप्रसाधन (means of accomplishing supreme knowledge)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching in the Umāsaṃhitā’s philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it discusses states (turīya) and the inner instrument (buddhi) with siddhis as subordinate attainments toward para-jñāna.

Significance: Warns implicitly that siddhis (aṇimā etc.) belong to the lower domain; the true goal is para-jñāna (liberating knowledge) culminating in Śiva’s anugraha.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It distinguishes the transcendental turiya from the lower inner faculty (buddhi) and teaches that even extraordinary powers (siddhis) are subordinate to the pursuit of para-jñāna—liberating knowledge leading to Shiva-realization.

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

In Shaiva practice, Saguna worship (Linga, mantra, pūjā) purifies buddhi and steadies awareness, but the verse points beyond such supports toward the turiya-oriented realization where knowledge culminates in the recognition of Shiva as Pati (the Supreme).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditation aimed at turiya—steadying the intellect through mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined yoga—while treating siddhis as distractions and keeping the focus on para-jñāna.