Shloka 4

Śiva-Śakti Tattva, Varṇa-Rahasya, and Mahāvākya-Bhāvanā

Interpretive Discipline

Devanagari script

पूर्वमेवोपदिष्टं तत्सोहमस्मीति भावयेत् । तत्त्वमित्यत्र तदिति सशब्दार्थः प्रबोधितः

Transliteration

pūrvamevopadiṣṭaṃ tatsohamasmīti bhāvayet | tattvamityatra taditi saśabdārthaḥ prabodhitaḥ

Translation

पूर्वोक्तविधिना एव ‘सोऽहमस्मि’ इति भावयेत्—तत् परं शिवं अहम् इति अन्तर्बोधः। ‘तत्त्वम्’ इत्यत्र ‘तत्’ शब्दार्थः सुस्पष्टं प्रबोधितः॥

Word by Word

• पूर्वम्: previously, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• उपदिष्टम्: taught, instructed
• उपदिष्टम्: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विधेय/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-दिś् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘taught/instructed’

• तत्: that (teaching)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object of ‘भावयेत्’ as content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; deictic ‘that’

• सोऽहम्: ‘He (that) am I’
• सोऽहम्: Vākyārtha (वाक्यार्थ/Quoted content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + अहम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: सन्धि-विग्रहः: सः + अहम्; अहम् = उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सः = पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (used deictically)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-bodhaka (वाक्यार्थ/Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय

• भावयेत्: should contemplate/meditate
• भावयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative) ‘cause to be/meditate’

• तत्त्वम्: ‘tattvam’ (the truth/thatness)
• तत्त्वम्: Vākyārtha (वाक्यार्थ/Quoted content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that-ness/Truth’

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-bodhaka (वाक्यार्थ/Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय

• अत्र: here, in this (expression)
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक/locative adverb)

• तद्: ‘tad’ (that)
• तद्: Vākyārtha (वाक्यार्थ/Quoted element)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; quoted element ‘tad’

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-bodhaka (वाक्यार्थ/Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक अव्यय

• सशब्दार्थः: the word along with its meaning
• सशब्दार्थः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-शब्द-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शब्दः च अर्थः च यस्य/सहितः) ‘with word and meaning’ (स- उपसर्ग/indeclinable prefix ‘with’)

• प्रबोधितः: has been explained, made known
• प्रबोधितः: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विधेय/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-बुध् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकर्मणि/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः ‘has been explained/awakened’

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching a Shaiva yoga of realization)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: so'ham asmi (tad-so'ham asmi) ; ‘tat tvam’ (mahāvākya allusion)

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches contemplative assimilation of the instruction that the individual self, when purified of bondage (pāśa), realizes its identity in nearness/oneness with the Supreme Lord Śiva (Pati), leading toward mokṣa through inner awakening.

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

Saguna worship (such as Liṅga-pūjā) steadies devotion and purifies the mind; this verse points to the mature, inward contemplation where the devotee recognizes the Lord indicated by “tat” as the very reality to be realized within.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A japa-like contemplation (bhāvanā) of the mahāvākya sense—meditating on “so’ham”/“tat tvam asi” with focused awareness—supported by Shaiva disciplines such as mantra, worship, and yogic concentration.