Shloka 24

Ṣaḍvidhārtha-Parijñāna: Praṇavārtha and the Sixfold Unity of Meaning (षड्विधार्थपरिज्ञानम् / प्रणवार्थपरिज्ञानम्)

Devanagari script

पंचमादि समारभ्य सद्योजाताद्यनुक्रमात् । उर्द्ध्वांतमीशानांतं च मुखपंचकमीरितम्

Transliteration

paṃcamādi samārabhya sadyojātādyanukramāt | urddhvāṃtamīśānāṃtaṃ ca mukhapaṃcakamīritam

Translation

Bắt đầu từ mặt thứ năm và tiến theo thứ tự đúng, khởi từ Sadyojāta trở đi, năm gương mặt (của Śiva) được truyền dạy như vậy—vươn lên trên cùng và kết ở Īśāna.

Word by Word

• paṃcama-ādi: beginning with the fifth
• paṃcama-ādi: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paṃcama (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva used adverbially: ‘beginning with the fifth’

• samārabhya: having started
• samārabhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √rabh (रभ्) + sam-ā- (उपसर्ग) (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), gerund; ‘having begun’

• sadyojāta-ādi-anukramāt: from the sequence starting with Sadyojāta
• sadyojāta-ādi-anukramāt: Apādāna (अपादान/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadyojāta (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + anukrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (Abl, 5th), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: ‘sadyojātādyānukrama’ = sequence beginning with Sadyojāta

• ūrdhva-antaम्: ending at the top
• ūrdhva-antaम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (Acc, 2nd), Ekavacana; ‘having the upper end/ending above’

• īśāna-antaम्: ending with Īśāna
• īśāna-antaम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (Acc, 2nd), Ekavacana; ‘ending with Īśāna’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• mukha-paṃcakam: the set of five faces
• mukha-paṃcakam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + paṃcaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā (Nom, 1st), Ekavacana; ‘group of five faces’

• īritam: is declared
• īritam: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īr (ईर्) (धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle) used predicatively; Napuṃsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana agreeing with mukhapaṃcakam; ‘has been declared’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes the Pañcamukha (five-faced) doctrine of Śiva—an ordered revelation of His fivefold manifestation, culminating in Īśāna as the supreme, upward-facing principle, supporting Shaiva Siddhanta contemplation of Pati (the Lord) as both immanent and transcendent.

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

The five faces are commonly contemplated in Śiva-liṅga worship as the Lord’s saguna revelation for meditation and mantra-japa, while pointing beyond form to Īśāna as the transcendent summit—thus uniting saguna upāsanā with the ascent toward nirguṇa realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as Pañcamukha in the stated sequence (Sadyojāta onward, culminating in Īśāna), and integrate this with japa of Śiva-mantras (especially Pañcabrahma-related mantras and the Panchākṣarī) during daily worship or Mahāśivarātri observance.