Shloka 46

शिवस्य पञ्चब्रह्मावतारवर्णनम्

Description of Shiva’s Pañcabrahma Avatāras

Devanagari script

वपुषश्च रसस्यापि रूपस्याग्नेस्तथैव च । अघोराख्यमधिष्ठानं रूपमाहुर्मनीषिणः

Transliteration

vapuṣaśca rasasyāpi rūpasyāgnestathaiva ca | aghorākhyamadhiṣṭhānaṃ rūpamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

Translation

智者宣说：身、味、色相以及火之所依与主宰的根基（adhiṣṭhāna），乃名为“阿伽霍罗”(Aghora)之相——吉祥而不怖畏的湿婆(Śiva)面貌，支撑并统摄这些显现的原理。

Word by Word

• वपुषः: of the body/form
• वपुषः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• रसस्य: of taste/essence
• रसस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अपि: also
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• रूपस्य: of form/appearance
• रूपस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• अग्नेः: of fire
• अग्नेः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; Genitive singular

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अघोराख्यम्: called Aghora
• अघोराख्यम्: विशेषण (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघोर + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; compound: अघोर-आख्य (named 'Aghora')

• अधिष्ठानम्: substratum/abode
• अधिष्ठानम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिष्ठान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object/complement

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object of 'आहुः'

• आहुः: they have said/call
• आहुः: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; parasmaipada

• मनीषिणः: the sages/wise ones
• मनीषिणः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; Nominative plural

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s forms and their cosmic functions to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Āghoramūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Aghora

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shiva, as Aghora, is the inner governor and sustaining base of embodied experience—body and sense-realities (taste, form) and even fire—showing Pati (Shiva) as the presiding consciousness over manifest tattvas.

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

Aghora is a Saguna (worshipful) aspect of Shiva through which devotees contemplate Shiva’s immanence in the elements and senses; Linga worship trains the mind to see one Lord as the substratum and ruler of all visible forms and forces.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate during japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) that Aghora Shiva presides within the body and the elements; offer lamp (agni/dīpa) and water with this contemplation, reinforcing inner purity aligned with Tripuṇḍra and Rudrāksha disciplines.