Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 13

कालमान-निर्णयः

Determination of the Measures of Time

Devanagari script

चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्कृतं युगम् । तस्य तावच्छतीसंध्या संध्यांशश्च तथाविधः

Transliteration

catvāri tu sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ tatkṛtaṃ yugam | tasya tāvacchatīsaṃdhyā saṃdhyāṃśaśca tathāvidhaḥ

Translation

كِرْتا يوغا تمتد أربعةَ آلافِ سنة. وشفقُها الافتتاحي (سَنْدْهْيا) يكون بمقدار ذلك مئاتٍ من السنين، وكذلك شفقُها الختامي (سَنْدْهْيَامْشَ) على القياس نفسه.

Word by Word

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण (sahasrāṇi-विशेषण)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• तत्-कृतम्: that Kṛta (i.e., Kṛta-yuga)
• तत्-कृतम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः = 'of that (i.e., that yuga’s) Kṛta' → 'that Kṛta (yuga)'

• युगम्: yuga/age
• युगम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तस्य: of it/of that
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• तावत्: so much/as much
• तावत्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: so much/that much)

• शती-सन्ध्या: a hundred-year twilight (sandhyā)
• शती-सन्ध्या: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शती (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/परिमाण-निर्देशः = 'a twilight of (one) hundred (years)'

• सन्ध्या-अंशः: the twilight-portion
• सन्ध्या-अंशः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः = 'portion of twilight' (i.e., sandhyāṃśa)

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

• तथा-विदः: of the same kind
• तथा-विदः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा (अव्यय) + विद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः = 'of that kind/so constituted'

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic cosmology to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: yuga-sandhyā and sandhyāṃśa (threshold periods)

FAQs

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

It teaches that cosmic time (kāla) moves in ordered cycles; in Shaiva Siddhānta this helps the seeker detach from transient ages and turn toward Pati (Śiva), who alone is beyond time and grants liberation.

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

By defining the changing yugas, the text implicitly contrasts them with the timeless reality of Śiva; Linga worship is a stable sādhana across all ages, anchoring devotion to Saguna Śiva while pointing to His transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is daily steadiness: maintain regular japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and simple Śiva-pūjā regardless of the yuga’s conditions, cultivating vairāgya toward time-bound pleasures.