Shloka 18

Kāla-vañcana (Overcoming/Outwitting Time) and the Pañcabhūta Basis of the Body

Devanagari script

शब्दस्स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धश्च पंचमः । विजहाति गुणं स्वं स्वं तदा भूतं विपद्यते

Transliteration

śabdassparśaśca rūpaṃ ca raso gandhaśca paṃcamaḥ | vijahāti guṇaṃ svaṃ svaṃ tadā bhūtaṃ vipadyate

Translation

ശബ്ദം, സ്പർശം, രൂപം, രസം, അഞ്ചാമത് ഗന്ധം—ഓരോ ഭൂതവും തന്റെ സ്വന്തം ഗുണം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ആ ഭൂതം തകർന്നു ലയത്തിലേക്ക് ലീനമാകുന്നു; എന്നാൽ പതി—ശിവൻ—പരമാധാരമായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शब्दः: sound
• शब्दः: Karta (कर्ता) (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्पर्शः: touch
• स्पर्शः: Karta (कर्ता) (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karta (कर्ता) (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• रसः: taste
• रसः: Karta (कर्ता) (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गन्धः: smell
• गन्धः: Karta (कर्ता) (enumeration item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पञ्चमः: the fifth
• पञ्चमः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (गन्धः)

• विजहाति: abandons / gives up
• विजहाति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + हा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गुणम्: quality
• गुणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्वम्: its own
• स्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (गुणम्)

• स्वम्: (each) its own
• स्वम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (each one's own)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• भूतम्: the element / being
• भूतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विपद्यते: perishes / comes to ruin
• विपद्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma-saṃhitā teaching to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pralaya/laya principle (dissolution by guṇa-withdrawal)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches tattva-viveka: the five elements are known by their specific sense-qualities, and when those qualities withdraw, the elements dissolve—pointing the seeker to detach from sensory identifications and rest in Pati (Śiva), the unchanging Reality.

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

Linga-worship trains the mind to move from gross sense-objects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) toward the subtle and then to the transcendent—seeing all manifested qualities as dissolvable, while the Linga signifies Śiva beyond dissolution.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is pratyāhāra and dhyāna: withdraw the senses from their objects while japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) steadies awareness; apply bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) as a reminder that all bhūtas end in dissolution.