FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.29

मुखानि पञ्चोपनिषदस्तवेश यैस्त्रिंशदष्टोत्तरमन्त्रवर्ग: । यत् तच्छिवाख्यं परमात्मतत्त्वं देव स्वयंज्योतिरवस्थितिस्ते ॥ २९ ॥
mukhāni pañcopaniṣadas taveśa
[mukhaani panchopanishadas tavesha]
yais triṁśad-aṣṭottara-mantra-vargaḥ
[yais trimshad-ashtottara-mantra-vargah]
yat tac chivākhyaṁ paramātma-tattvaṁ
[yat tach chivaakhyam paramaatma-tattvam]
deva svayaṁ-jyotir avasthitis te
[deva svayam-jyotir avasthitis te]
Word-for-word
mukhāni — faces pañca — five upaniṣadaḥ — Vedic literatures tava — your īśa — O lord yaiḥ — by which triṁśat-aṣṭa-uttara-mantra-vargaḥ — in the category of thirty-eight important Vedic mantras yat — that tat — as it is śiva-ākhyam — celebrated by the name Śiva paramātma-tattvam — which ascertain the truth about Paramātmā deva — O lord svayam-jyotiḥ — self-illuminated avasthitiḥ — situation te — of Your Lordship.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mukhāni pañcopaniṣadas taveśa
mukhāni
faces
pañca
five
upaniṣadaḥ
Vedic literatures
tava
your
yais triṁśad-aṣṭottara-mantra-vargaḥ
īśa
O lord
yat tac chivākhyaṁ paramātma-tattvaṁ
yaiḥ
by which
triṁśat-aṣṭa-uttara-mantra-vargaḥ
in the category of thirty-eight important Vedic mantras
yat
that
tat
as it is
śiva-ākhyam
celebrated by the name Śiva
paramātma-tattvam
which ascertain the truth about Paramātmā
deva svayaṁ-jyotir avasthitis te
deva
O lord
svayam-jyotiḥ
self-illuminated
avasthitiḥ
situation
te
of Your Lordship.
O lord, the five important Vedic mantras are represented by your five faces, from which the thirty-eight most celebrated Vedic mantras have been generated. Your Lordship, being celebrated as Lord Śiva, is self-illuminated. You are directly situated as the supreme truth, known as Paramātmā.
Purport

The five mantras mentioned in this connection are as follows: (1) Puruṣa, (2) Aghora, (3) Sadyojāta, (4) Vāmadeva, and (5) Īśāna. These five mantras are within the category of thirty-eight special Vedic mantras chanted by Lord Śiva, who is therefore celebrated as Śiva or Mahādeva. Another reason why Lord Śiva is called Śiva, which means “all-auspicious,” is that he is self-illuminated, exactly like Lord Viṣṇu, who is the Paramātmā. Because Lord Śiva is directly an incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu, he is situated as Lord Viṣṇu’s direct representative. This fact is corroborated by a Vedic mantra: patiṁ viśvasyātmeśvaraṁ śāśvatam. śivam acyutam. The Supersoul is called by many names, of which Maheśvara, Śiva and Acyuta are especially mentioned.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O lord! The five Vedic mantras are your five mouths, from which the thirty-eight secondary mantras have arisen. He who is your Paramātmā is called Śiva. Visṇu, self-manifesting, is your shelter. Your five mouths are the five mantras: tat-puruṣa, aghora, sadyojāta, vāmadeva, and īṣana, by which mouths arise thirty-eighty secondary mantras, by dividing the verses. He who has the position of Paramātmā for you is called Śiva. The self-revealed Viṣṇu is your shelter.
Personal Guidance
Five faces, thirty-eight Vedic mantras, self-illuminated like Viṣṇu — Śiva is celebrated for being all-auspicious. Names matter; the names of Śiva and Mahādeva tell us what to expect of him. Bhakti reads names as promises.
Reflection Questions
  • What names of the Lord am I chanting without paying attention to what they promise?
  • Whose 'auspicious' nature have I doubted because I only saw their fierce side?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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