Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 10

अग्नीषोमात्मकविश्ववर्णनम् / The Universe as Agni–Soma

Fire and Nectar

Devanagari script

अत एव हि कालाग्निरधस्ताच्छक्तिरूर्ध्वतः । यावदादहनं चोर्ध्वमधश्चाप्लावनं भवेत्

Transliteration

ata eva hi kālāgniradhastācchaktirūrdhvataḥ | yāvadādahanaṃ cordhvamadhaścāplāvanaṃ bhavet

Translation

لذلك يكون كَالاغني، نارُ الزمان، في الأسفل، وتكون الشاكتي (القدرة الإلهية) في الأعلى؛ ما دام هناك احتراقٌ يصعد إلى فوق وفيضانٌ ينساب إلى تحت، يستمر هذا النظام الكوني.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे/तस्मात्-अर्थे (therefore/from this)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक (emphasis)

• हि: for, because
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; कारण/उपपत्तिबोधक (for/because)

• कालाग्निः: the fire of time (kālāgni)
• कालाग्निः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: कालः अग्निः (कर्मधारय)

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: below)

• शक्तिः: power, energy
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ऊर्ध्वतः: above, from above
• ऊर्ध्वतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (from above/above)

• यावत्: until, as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)

• आदहनम्: burning, combustion
• आदहनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; with भवेत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-दहन (प्रातिपदिक; दहन = √दह् (धातु) से भाव/कर्मणि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘burning’ (process)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), अव्यय; दिशाबोधक (upwards)

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Direction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb), अव्यय; दिशाबोधक (downwards)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• आप्लावनम्: flooding, inundation
• आप्लावनम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; with भवेत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-प्लावन (प्रातिपदिक; प्लावन = √प्लु (धातु) से भाव/कर्मणि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘flooding/overflowing’

• भवेत्: would be, should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Kālāntaka

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kāla as latent pralaya-force (kālāgni) held in check during ordered time

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It points to Shiva’s governance of cosmic balance: time consumes (kālāgni) while divine power upholds and orders creation. For the bound soul (paśu), recognizing this order encourages dispassion and turning toward Pati (Shiva) for liberation.

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

The Linga symbolizes Shiva as the transcendent ground in which both dissolution (time-fire) and sustaining energy (śakti) operate. Saguna worship steadies the mind to see these forces as expressions of Shiva’s lordship rather than as random fate.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the inner ruler of time and energy while repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and cultivate vairāgya (detachment) by contemplating impermanence—the ‘fire of time’ that consumes all.