Shloka 2
मुनिप्रश्नवर्णनम्
Description of the Sages’ Questions
वन्दे शिवन्तम्प्रकृतेरनादिम्प्रशान्तमेकम्पुरुषोत्तमं हि । स्वमायया कृत्स्नमिदं हि सृष्ट्वा नभोवदन्तर्बहिरास्थितो यः
vande śivantamprakṛteranādimpraśāntamekampuruṣottamaṃ hi | svamāyayā kṛtsnamidaṃ hi sṛṣṭvā nabhovadantarbahirāsthito yaḥ
പ്രകൃതിക്കും മുമ്പേ അനാദിയായ, പരമശാന്തനായ, ഏകപുരുഷോത്തമനായ ആ മംഗളശിവനെ ഞാൻ വന്ദിക്കുന്നു; അവൻ തന്റെ മായയാൽ ഈ സമസ്ത വിശ്വം സൃഷ്ടിച്ച്, ആകാശംപോലെ എല്ലാറ്റിന്റെയും അകത്തും പുറത്തും നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.
Suta Goswami (invocatory narration to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Mantra: vande śivantam prakṛter anādim praśāntam ekam puruṣottamaṃ hi | sva-māyayā kṛtsnam idaṃ hi sṛṣṭvā nabho-vad antar-bahir āsthito yaḥ ||
Type: stotra
Role: creative
Cosmic Event: Cosmogonic framing: creation through sva-māyā with Śiva’s transcendence and immanence (antar-bahiḥ).
FAQs
The verse establishes Shiva as Pati—the beginningless Supreme Lord beyond Prakṛti—who manifests the cosmos through His Māyā yet remains untouched, pervading all as the indwelling Self and the transcendent Reality, leading the devotee toward peace (praśānti) and moksha.
By describing Shiva as both beyond Prakṛti and present within and without, the verse supports Saguna worship (such as the Śiva-liṅga) as a concrete focus for devotion while affirming that the worshipped form points to the formless, all-pervading Shiva.
A practical takeaway is japa with the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) while meditating on Shiva as space-like—present in the heart and everywhere—supported by simple devotion such as offering water to the liṅga and cultivating inner tranquility (praśānta-bhāva).