Shloka 11

प्रणवार्थ-शिवतत्त्व-निर्णयः

The Determination of Śiva as the Meaning of Praṇava

Devanagari script

यो वै मुमुक्षुभिर्ध्येयः शम्भुराकाशमध्यगः । सर्वव्यापी प्रकाशात्मा भासरूपो हि चिन्मयः

Transliteration

yo vai mumukṣubhirdhyeyaḥ śambhurākāśamadhyagaḥ | sarvavyāpī prakāśātmā bhāsarūpo hi cinmayaḥ

Translation

ಮುಮುಕ್ಷುಗಳು ಧ್ಯಾನಿಸಬೇಕಾದ ಶಂಭು ಆಕಾಶಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿದ್ದಾನೆ. ಅವನು ಸರ್ವವ್ಯಾಪಿ, ಪ್ರಕಾಶಾತ್ಮಸ್ವರೂಪ; ನಿಜಕ್ಕೂ ಅವನ ರೂಪ ತೇಜಸ್ಸೇ, ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಅವನು ಶುದ್ಧ ಚೈತನ್ಯಮಯನು.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — emphasis

• mumukṣubhiḥ: by seekers of liberation
• mumukṣubhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/agent in passive construction)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mumukṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), बहुवचन; ‘मोक्षं इच्छन्ति’ (desirers of liberation)

• dhyeyaḥ: to be meditated upon
• dhyeyaḥ: Karma (कर्म/object of meditation—obligatory)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √dhyai (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य, -य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘ध्यातव्यः’ (to be meditated upon)

• śambhuḥ: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śambhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/apposition to yaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ākāśa-madhya-gaḥ: situated in the midst of the sky
• ākāśa-madhya-gaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘आकाशस्य मध्ये गः’ (one who is in the middle of the sky); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-vyāpī: all-pervading
• sarva-vyāpī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + vyāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘सर्वत्र व्यापी’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prakāśa-ātmā: whose essence is light / light-natured
• prakāśa-ātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/appositive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (genitive/qualificative): ‘प्रकाशः आत्मा यस्य/यः’ used as substantive epithet; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhāsa-rūpaḥ: having the form of radiance
• bhāsa-rūpaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘भासः रूपम् यस्य’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — ‘for/indeed’

• cit-mayaḥ: consisting of consciousness
• cit-mayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cit (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘चित्-मय’ (made of consciousness); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasa Samhita teaching to the sages, summarizing the object of Śiva-meditation)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines the mokṣa-oriented meditation object: Śambhu is not limited to a place or body, but is the all-pervading Conscious Light (cit-prakāśa). Liberation is approached by recognizing and contemplating Śiva as the inner, luminous reality that pervades all.

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

The Liṅga is a saguna support for dhyāna that points to Śiva’s nirguṇa truth described here—form as radiance and consciousness. Worship begins with a visible emblem (Liṅga) and matures into contemplation of the all-pervading Śiva-tattva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A dhyāna practice: meditate on Śambhu as luminous awareness pervading ākāśa and all beings; support it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and, where traditional, Tripuṇḍra-bhasma and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and Śiva-smaraṇa.