Shloka 26

Adhyaya 75: Nishkala–Sakala Shiva, Twofold Linga, and the Supremacy of Dhyana-Yajna

Devanagari script

जन्तवो दिवि भूमौ च सर्वे वै पाञ्चभौतिकाः तथापि बहुला दृष्टा जातिव्यक्तिविभेदतः

Transliteration

jantavo divi bhūmau ca sarve vai pāñcabhautikāḥ tathāpi bahulā dṛṣṭā jātivyaktivibhedataḥ

Translation

Tous les êtres vivants—au ciel comme sur la terre—sont assurément constitués des cinq grands éléments. Pourtant, on les voit multiples, en raison des différences d’espèce et d’individualité incarnée.

Word by Word

• जन्तवः: living beings

• दिवि: in heaven

• भूमौ: on earth

• च: and

• सर्वे: all

• वै: indeed

• पाञ्चभौतिकाः: composed of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether)

• तथापि: nevertheless

• बहुलाः: many, diverse

• दृष्टाः: are seen

• जाति: species, class-kind

• व्यक्ति: individual person/embodied instance

• विभेदतः: due to differentiation, by reason of distinction

Speaker

Suta Goswami

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames the worshipper’s body and the whole cosmos as pañcabhūta-made; Linga-puja then becomes a way to purify the elemental embodiment (pāśa) and reorient the pashu toward Pati, Shiva.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By emphasizing that all embodied forms share the same elemental basis yet appear diverse, it implies Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati who is not limited by elemental composition, while pervading and governing it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A key Pashupata Yoga takeaway is pañcabhūta-śuddhi—seeing the body as elemental and cultivating detachment from jātī/vyakti identity, supporting mantra-japa and Linga-dhyāna aimed at release from bondage.