Shloka 28

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माच्युतावूचतुः । नमो निष्कलरूपाय नमो निष्कलतेजसे । नमः सकलनाथाय नमस्ते सकलात्मने

Transliteration

brahmācyutāvūcatuḥ | namo niṣkalarūpāya namo niṣkalatejase | namaḥ sakalanāthāya namaste sakalātmane

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മാവും അച്യുതനും പറഞ്ഞു—നിഷ്കലരൂപനേ, നമസ്കാരം; നിഷ്കലതേജസ്സേ, നമസ്കാരം. സകലത്തിന്റെ നാഥനേ, നമസ്കാരം; സകലാത്മനേ, നമസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; one of two speakers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अच्युतौ: Acyuta (Viṣṇu) [the two: Brahmā and Acyuta]
• अच्युतौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; second of two speakers)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; here denotes ‘Brahmā and Acyuta (Viṣṇu)’ as a dual subject with Brahmā (dvandva sense across words)

• ऊचतुः: said (the two said)
• ऊचतुः: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/वाक्यकर्म (Salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection used with dative); visarga form ‘नमः’

• निष्कल-रूपाय: to the formless one
• निष्कल-रूपाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient of salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/विशेषणपूर्वपद-भाव: ‘निष्कलं रूपं यस्य/निष्कलरूपः’ → dative)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/वाक्यकर्म (Salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (salutation particle)

• निष्कल-तेजसे: to the partless radiance
• निष्कल-तेजसे: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कल (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘निष्कलं तेजः’)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/वाक्यकर्म (Salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (salutation particle)

• सकल-नाथाय: to the lord of all
• सकल-नाथाय: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक) + नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘सकलस्य नाथः’)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/वाक्यकर्म (Salutation formula)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; sandhi before ‘ते’

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/To you)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोग (2nd person pronoun), चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; enclitic

• सकल-आत्मने: to the soul of all
• सकल-आत्मने: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘सकलस्य आत्मा’)

Speaker

Brahma and Vishnu (Acyuta)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: namo niṣkalarūpāya namo niṣkalatejase | namaḥ sakalanāthāya namaste sakalātmane

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It affirms Shiva as both niṣkala (transcendent, beyond form and limitation) and sakala (immanent Lord present in the cosmos), guiding the devotee to worship Him as the Supreme Pati who grants liberation.

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

The Liṅga is a key Shaiva symbol that accommodates both truths: it points to the formless, partless Reality (niṣkala) while being a worshipful manifestation accessible to devotion (sakala), uniting jñāna and bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

During Liṅga-pūjā or japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), contemplate Shiva as pure, partless light (niṣkala-tejas) and as the indwelling Self of all beings (sakalātmā), offering namaskāra with steady breath and focused mind.