Shloka 28

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

तत्तद्विद्धि चतुर्वक्त्र सर्वं मन्मयमित्यथ मया सृष्टं पुराव्यक्तं चतुर्विंशतिकं स्वयम्

Transliteration

tattadviddhi caturvaktra sarvaṃ manmayamityatha mayā sṛṣṭaṃ purāvyaktaṃ caturviṃśatikaṃ svayam

Translation

Hãy biết điều ấy, hỡi Brahmā Bốn Mặt: tất cả đều chỉ do Ta thấm nhuần. Thuở ban sơ, chính Ta phát khởi cái Vô Hiển (avyakta), và từ đó hai mươi bốn nguyên lý tự hiển lộ.

Word by Word

• tattad: that (truth/that very principle)

• viddhi: know (understand)

• catur-vaktra: O four-faced one (Brahmā)

• sarvam: all (the universe)

• mat-mayam: constituted of Me, pervaded by Me

• iti: thus

• atha: then/indeed

• mayā: by Me

• sṛṣṭam: created/emitted

• purā: formerly, in the beginning

• avyaktam: the unmanifest (pradhāna/mūla-prakṛti)

• catur-viṁśatikam: the set of twenty-four (tattvas of prakṛti)

• svayam: by Myself, directly

Speaker

Shiva (Pati) instructing Brahma within Suta’s narration

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It establishes that all manifested reality arises from the Lord and is pervaded by Him; Linga worship is therefore worship of the very ground of both the unmanifest (avyakta) and the manifest tattvas.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva is presented as Pati—transcendent yet immanent—who pervades all (mat-maya) while also initiating manifestation from avyakta into the twenty-four principles, remaining distinct from the bonds (pāśa) that limit the pashu (soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A tattva-viveka foundation for Pāśupata Yoga is implied: discern the twenty-four principles as pāśa (objective field) and turn the pashu’s awareness toward Pati, the all-pervading Lord, as the basis for liberation-oriented worship and meditation.