Shloka 19

Vāyu-jaya (Prāṇa-vijaya) and Yogic Mastery over Time — वायुजय (प्राणविजय) तथा कालजय

Devanagari script

ततस्तु तमसि ध्यायन्पश्यते ज्योतिरैश्वरम् । श्वेतं रक्तं तथा पीतं कृष्णमिन्द्रधनुष्प्रभम्

Transliteration

tatastu tamasi dhyāyanpaśyate jyotiraiśvaram | śvetaṃ raktaṃ tathā pītaṃ kṛṣṇamindradhanuṣprabham

Translation

پھر سالک باطنی تاریکی میں مراقبہ کرتے ہوئے ربِّ مہیشور کے اقتدار آمیز نور کو دیکھتا ہے—وہ سفید، سرخ، زرد اور سیاہ رنگوں میں، قوسِ قزح کی طرح درخشاں ظاہر ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: काल (temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): then/thereafter

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• तमसि: in darkness
• तमसि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of implied yogī)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पश्यते: sees
• पश्यते: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √दृश् (to see)

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ऐश्वरम्: divine, majestic
• ऐश्वरम्: कर्म-विशेषण (object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of ज्योतिः

• श्वेतम्: white
• श्वेतम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of jyotis)

• रक्तम्: red
• रक्तम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: and also
• तथा: समुच्चय (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/conjunction): and/likewise

• पीतम्: yellow
• पीतम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कृष्णम्: black
• कृष्णम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• इन्द्रधनुष्-प्रभम्: having the radiance of a rainbow
• इन्द्रधनुष्-प्रभम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रधनुष् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: इन्द्रधनुषः प्रभा यस्य/इन्द्रधनुषः प्रभम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of jyotis)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma Samhita teaching to the sages, describing the meditative vision of Shiva’s jyotis)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: The ‘aiśvara-jyotis’ vision functions as an inner analogue to jyotirliṅga-darśana: direct encounter with Śiva’s sovereign luminosity that dispels tamas (bondage-ignorance).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that when the mind enters profound dhyāna—passing through inner “darkness” (tamas as obscuration/withdrawal)—the seeker directly perceives Shiva as aiśvara-jyoti, the Lordly Light, indicating grace-led revelation of Pati beyond ordinary sense perception.

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

The Linga is worshipped as the sign and seat of Shiva’s jyoti. This verse describes the experiential counterpart: the devotee’s inner vision of that same divine radiance, which may appear in varied colors as saguna indications while pointing to the one sovereign Reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice steady dhyāna with mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), supported by Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, to purify obscuration and stabilize attention until the Shiva-jyoti is revealed.