Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

मङ्गलाचरणम्, तीर्थ-परिसरः, सूतागमनम् — Invocation, Sacred Setting, and the Arrival of Sūta

Devanagari script

शिवज्ञानार्णवं साक्षाद्भक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम् । शब्दार्थन्यायसंयुक्तै रागमार्थैर्विभूषितम्

Transliteration

śivajñānārṇavaṃ sākṣādbhaktimuktiphalapradam | śabdārthanyāyasaṃyuktai rāgamārthairvibhūṣitam

Translation

Wahrlich, dies ist der „Ozean der Śiva-Erkenntnis“, der unmittelbar die Früchte von Bhakti und Befreiung verleiht. Er ist mit stichhaltiger Begründung in Wort und Sinn verbunden und mit Lehren geschmückt, die auf den Pfad liebender Hingabe führen.

Word by Word

• शिवज्ञानार्णवम्: the ocean of Śiva-knowledge
• शिवज्ञानार्णवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव-ज्ञान-अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक; शिव+ज्ञान+अर्णव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) ‘शिवस्य ज्ञानम्’ + ‘ज्ञानस्य अर्णवः’

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भक्ति-मुक्ति-फल-प्रदम्: bestowing the fruit of devotion and liberation
• भक्ति-मुक्ति-फल-प्रदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति-मुक्ति-फल-प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; भक्ति+मुक्ति+फल+प्रद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी) ‘भक्तेः मुक्तेः फलम्’ तस्य ‘प्रदः’

• शब्द-अर्थ-न्याय-संयुक्तैः: with (things) joined with word-meaning and reasoning
• शब्द-अर्थ-न्याय-संयुक्तैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द-अर्थ-न्याय-संयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; शब्द+अर्थ+न्याय+संयुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; ‘शब्दार्थन्यायैः संयुक्तः’ इति (instrumental plural)

• रागम्: passion, attachment
• रागम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अर्थैः: by meanings, senses
• अर्थैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• विभूषितम्: adorned, embellished
• विभूषितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-भूष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames the text as śivajñāna-pradāna: hearing/understanding it is positioned as a direct means to bhakti and mukti—key Siddhānta soteriology (grace mediated through right knowledge and devotion).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse praises Śiva-jñāna as a living “ocean” that grants both bhakti (devotional maturity) and mokṣa (release), showing that right understanding of Śiva is not merely intellectual but directly transformative.

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

By emphasizing devotion (rāga-mārga) along with clear meaning and reasoning, it supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-upāsanā—as a disciplined path that ripens into liberating Śiva-knowledge.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is steady bhakti supported by correct understanding—classically expressed through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and contemplative study (svādhyāya) of Śiva’s teachings.