Shloka 5

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

सर्गादि यच्चतुष्कृत्यं संसारपरिजृंभणम् । पंचमं मुक्तिहेतुर्वै नित्यं मयि च सुस्थिरम्

Transliteration

sargādi yaccatuṣkṛtyaṃ saṃsāraparijṛṃbhaṇam | paṃcamaṃ muktiheturvai nityaṃ mayi ca susthiram

Translation

กิจสี่ประการเริ่มด้วยการสร้างสรรค์ ซึ่งทำให้สังสาระขยายออกไป (ได้ถูกสอนไว้); และประการที่ห้านั้นแลเป็นเหตุแห่งโมกษะ คือดำรงมั่นคงอยู่ในเราเป็นนิตย์

Word by Word

• सर्ग-आदि: creation and the rest
• सर्ग-आदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular (contextual); तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्गः आदिः यस्य/यत्र’ in sense ‘creation etc.’ (ādi as suffix-like member)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun used adjectivally, Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; qualifies ‘चतुष्कृत्यम्’

• चतुष्कृत्यम्: the fourfold activity
• चतुष्कृत्यम्: Karta (कर्ता/वर्ण्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣ + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; द्विगु: ‘चतुर् + कृत्य’ = ‘fourfold function/act’

• संसार-परिजृंभणम्: the unfolding of worldly existence
• संसार-परिजृंभणम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra + parijṛṃbhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘संसारस्य परिजृंभणम्’ (expansion/unfolding of saṃsāra)

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Karta (कर्ता/वर्ण्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; ordinal adjective ‘fifth’ (qualifies an implied neuter noun like ‘तत्त्वम्/कृत्यम्’)

• मुक्ति-हेतुः: cause of liberation
• मुक्ति-हेतुः: Karta (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मुक्तेः हेतुः’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात-अव्यय), emphatic

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया), ‘always’

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)

• सु-स्थिरम्: very steady, firmly established
• सु-स्थिरम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + sthira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण: ‘सुस्थिर’ = very firm/steady; qualifies implied neuter subject

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific māhātmya here; the verse teaches the pañcakṛtya doctrine and identifies the ‘fifth’ as liberating stabilization in Śiva.

Significance: Frames liberation as anugraha: steadfast abidance in Śiva (śivaniṣṭhā), the inner ‘tīrtha’ accessible through devotion and knowledge.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It distinguishes the four cosmic operations that sustain saṃsāra from the “fifth” principle—steadfast abidance in Śiva (Pati)—as the direct cause of mokṣa, aligning with Shaiva Siddhānta’s emphasis on grace and God-centered stability.

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

The verse points to sustained inner establishment in Śiva; in practice, Linga-worship (saguna upāsanā) functions as a concrete support to cultivate unwavering remembrance and surrender, culminating in firm God-abidance that leads to liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is nitya-upāsanā: daily Linga pūjā with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and steady meditation on Śiva as the inner Self, aiming at unwavering fixity (su-sthiratā) in Him.