Shloka 41

शिवस्य पञ्चब्रह्मावतारवर्णनम्

Description of Shiva’s Pañcabrahma Avatāras

Devanagari script

शैवस्तत्पुरुषाख्यश्च स्वरूपो हि द्वितीयकः । गुणाश्रयात्मकं भोग्यं सर्वज्ञमधितिष्ठति

Transliteration

śaivastatpuruṣākhyaśca svarūpo hi dvitīyakaḥ | guṇāśrayātmakaṃ bhogyaṃ sarvajñamadhitiṣṭhati

Translation

രണ്ടാമത്തെ പ്രകടസ്വരൂപം ശൈവമായ ‘തത്പുരുഷ’മാണ്. സർവ്വജ്ഞനായ പ്രഭു ഗുണാശ്രിതമായ ഭോഗ്യലോകത്തെ അധിഷ്ഠാനമായി ഭരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• śaivaḥ: Śaiva, pertaining to Śiva
• śaivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (pertaining to Śiva)

• tatpuruṣa-ākhyaḥ: named Tatpuruṣa
• tatpuruṣa-ākhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatpuruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (tatpuruṣa-nāmakaḥ = 'named Tatpuruṣa')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• svarūpaḥ: form, essential nature
• svarūpaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतु (particle: indeed/for)

• dvitīyakaḥ: the second
• dvitīyakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal: 'second')

• guṇa-āśraya-ātmakam: having the nature of being the support of the guṇas
• guṇa-āśraya-ātmakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (guṇānām āśrayaḥ; tad-ātmakaṃ = 'having the nature of being the support of guṇas')

• bhogyam: the enjoy-able/experienced (object)
• bhogyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhogya (कृदन्त; √bhuj भुज् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: 'to be enjoyed/experienced')

• sarvajñam: all-knowing
• sarvajñam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (sarvaṃ jānāti iti)

• adhitiṣṭhati: presides over, governs
• adhitiṣṭhati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-√sthā (स्था) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Tatpuruṣa as a manifest (saguṇa) aspect of Śiva who, while remaining omniscient, governs the guṇa-based field of experience—showing that the cosmos is under Śiva’s conscious lordship, not independent.

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

Tatpuruṣa represents Śiva approachable through form; Linga-worship honors Śiva as the presiding Reality within all tattvas, including the guṇas and the world that becomes the object of experience.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Tatpuruṣa Śiva as the inner ruler of the guṇas while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and offering worship to the Śiva-liṅga to refine experience into devotion and discernment.