Shloka 16

अद्वैतशैवसिद्धान्ते पुरुष-प्रकृति-विचारः

Puruṣa–Prakṛti Analysis in Advaita Śaiva Doctrine

Devanagari script

तेभ्यश्चाकाशवाय्वग्निजलभूमिजनिः क्रमात् । विज्ञेया मुनिशार्दूल पञ्चभूतमितीष्यते

Transliteration

tebhyaścākāśavāyvagnijalabhūmijaniḥ kramāt | vijñeyā muniśārdūla pañcabhūtamitīṣyate

Translation

Dari prinsip-prinsip halus itu, secara berurutan lahirlah ākāśa (ruang), vāyu (angin), agni (api), jala (air), dan bhūmi (bumi). Wahai harimau para resi, inilah yang diajarkan sebagai pañca-mahābhūta.

Word by Word

• तेभ्यः: to/for them
• तेभ्यः: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुँलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया/चतुर्थी?—अत्र चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन (plural)

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

• आकाश: ether/space
• आकाश: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वायु: wind/air
• वायु: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अग्नि: fire
• अग्नि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जल: water
• जल: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भूमि: earth
• भूमि: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जनिः: origin/production
• जनिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘उत्पत्तिः/जन्म’ (birth/origin)

• क्रमात्: in order/successively
• क्रमात्: अधिकरण (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial use): ‘क्रमेण’

• विज्ञेया: is to be known/should be understood
• विज्ञेया: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective): ‘ज्ञातव्या’

• मुनिशार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• मुनिशार्दूल: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), पुँलिङ्ग, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (muni-śārdūla = ‘tiger among sages’)

• पञ्चभूतम्: the five elements
• पञ्चभूतम्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numerical compound): ‘five elements’

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निगमन-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ईष्यते: is held/considered
• ईष्यते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रयोगसदृशः: ‘is considered/accepted’

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pañcabhūta-utpatti (gross element manifestation from tanmātras)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the pañcabhūtas as a sequential unfoldment from subtler causes, implying that the yogin should discern the difference between changing elemental nature (pāśa) and the Lord Shiva as Pati, the transcendent ground beyond them.

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

The Liṅga symbolizes Shiva as the support and source of all manifested categories, including the five elements; worship of Saguna Shiva purifies the mind to perceive that the elements arise and dissolve, while Shiva remains the unchanging reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is pañcabhūta-śuddhi (inner purification of the elements) alongside japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) to remember the body’s elemental nature and cultivate detachment.