Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 27
बाणस्य शोकः शिवस्मरणं च — Bāṇa’s Grief and the Turn to Śiva-Remembrance
ब्राह्मणं ते मुखं प्राहुर्बाहुं क्षत्रियमेव च । ऊरुजं वैश्यमाहुस्ते पादजं शूद्रमेव च
brāhmaṇaṃ te mukhaṃ prāhurbāhuṃ kṣatriyameva ca | ūrujaṃ vaiśyamāhuste pādajaṃ śūdrameva ca
Mereka menyatakan mulut-Mu ialah Brāhmaṇa; lengan-Mu sesungguhnya ialah Kṣatriya. Mereka berkata paha-Mu ialah Vaiśya, dan kaki-Mu ialah Śūdra—demikian menggambarkan empat golongan sebagai lahir daripada Insan Kosmik-Mu, yakni fungsi yang berbeza dalam satu keseluruhan yang suci.
Unspecified in the isolated citation (the verse reports a traditional saying: 'they declare...')
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadyojāta
FAQs
The verse closely echoes the well-known Vedic motif (especially the Puruṣa-sūkta) that maps social orders onto a cosmic body—mouth, arms, thighs, and feet—thereby presenting society as an integrated organism. In Purāṇic contexts, this imagery is often used philosophically to emphasize functional interdependence and a shared sacred source, even while reflecting historical social classifications.