Shiva Purana — Kailasa Samhita, Shloka 43

सृष्टिपद्धतिवर्णनम्

Exposition of the Supreme Method of Creation and the Tirodhāna-Cakra

Devanagari script

सृष्ट्यादिपृथुसृष्टित्वात्पृथुत्वेनोपदृश्यते । हिरण्मयस्य देवस्य शम्भोरमिततेजसः

Transliteration

sṛṣṭyādipṛthusṛṣṭitvātpṛthutvenopadṛśyate | hiraṇmayasya devasya śambhoramitatejasaḥ

Translation

सृष्टीच्या आदिपासूनच त्याची अभिव्यक्ती अत्यंत व्यापक असल्याने तो ‘विस्तीर्ण’ म्हणून जाणवतो. तोच सुवर्णमय, दिव्य, अपरिमित तेजस्वी शंभू असा समजावा.

Word by Word

• सृष्टि-आदि-पृथु-सृष्टित्वात्: because of (his) vast creation at the beginning (of creation)
• सृष्टि-आदि-पृथु-सृष्टित्वात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + पृथु (प्रातिपदिक) + सृष्टित्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थक-पञ्चमी (ablative of cause); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सृष्ट्यादौ पृथुसृष्टित्वम् = the state of vast creation at the beginning of creation)

• पृथुत्वेन: by (his) vastness
• पृथुत्वेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथुत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतुसाधन-भावः (instrumental: by/through the quality of vastness)

• उपदृश्यते: is perceived/appears
• उपदृश्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु) उप-उपसर्ग
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘is perceived/appears’

• हिरण्मयस्य: of the golden (one)
• हिरण्मयस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of देवस्य/शम्भोः)

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अमित-तेजसः: of (him) whose splendor is immeasurable
• अमित-तेजसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमित (प्रातिपदिक) + तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अमितं तेजः यस्य/अमिततेजाः) used as genitive qualifier of शम्भोः

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: sṛṣṭy-ādi (beginning of creation)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It points to Śiva as Pati—the limitless Lord—whose immeasurable light is inferred through the vastness of creation; the devotee learns to see the world’s immensity as a sign of His transcendent radiance.

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

Though Śiva is ultimately beyond form, He is approached in Saguna worship as the luminous Lord (hiraṇmaya, amita-tejas). The Liṅga functions as a concentrated emblem of that boundless brilliance, making the infinite approachable for devotion and meditation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Dhyāna on Śiva as boundless light—mentally visualizing a golden, all-pervading radiance while repeating the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—is the key takeaway.