Shloka 21

विष्णु-ब्रह्म-विवाद-वर्णनम्

Description of the Viṣṇu–Brahmā Dispute and Brahmā’s Confusion

Devanagari script

तथाभूतमहं दृष्ट्वा सदसन्मयमात्मना । नारायणं महाबाहु हर्षितो ह्यभवं तदा

Transliteration

tathābhūtamahaṃ dṛṣṭvā sadasanmayamātmanā | nārāyaṇaṃ mahābāhu harṣito hyabhavaṃ tadā

Translation

Voyant Nārāyaṇa en cet état même—le reconnaissant au-dedans de moi comme l’essence du manifeste (sat) et de l’in manifeste (asat)—je fus alors comblé de joie, ô toi aux bras puissants.

Word by Word

• तथा-भूतम्: such (as described)
• तथा-भूतम्: कर्म (Object; qualifies नारायणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘तथाभूत’ = such/so become

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

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action; adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• सत्-असत्-मयम्: consisting of being and non-being
• सत्-असत्-मयम्: कर्म (Object; qualifies नारायणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + असत् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषभावः (सत् च असत् च—तयोर्मयः)

• आत्मना: by myself / with my own self
• आत्मना: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• नारायणम्: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य बाहू महान्तौ)

• हर्षितः: delighted
• हर्षितः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भावावस्था

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, emphasis/indeed)

• अभवम्: I became
• अभवम्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

Speaker

Brahmā (narrating his direct realization/vision)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Pre-creation/creation threshold: Brahmā’s inward cognition (ātmanā) of sat-asat essence

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It highlights inner realization (ātmanā) of the Supreme as the ground of both the manifest and unmanifest, indicating that true knowledge brings spontaneous joy and steadiness in the midst of creation’s dualities.

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

Though Nārāyaṇa is named, the Sṛṣṭi narrative in Rudra Saṃhitā frames the cosmos as arising from the one Supreme Reality; Linga-worship similarly trains the mind to see the Saguna symbol as pointing to the Nirguna source beyond sat/asat distinctions.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate inwardly on the indwelling Self (ātmanā) while repeating a Shiva-mantra such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), cultivating the vision of one Reality underlying both seen and unseen.