Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1
मन्वन्तर-कल्प-प्रश्नोत्तरम् / Discourse on Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Re-creation
मुनय ऊचुः । मन्वंतराणि सर्वाणि कल्पभेदांश्च सर्वशः । तेष्वेवांतरसर्गं च प्रतिसर्गं च नो वद
munaya ūcuḥ | manvaṃtarāṇi sarvāṇi kalpabhedāṃśca sarvaśaḥ | teṣvevāṃtarasargaṃ ca pratisargaṃ ca no vada
Die Weisen sprachen: „Berichte uns vollständig von allen Manvantaras und von jeder Art der Kalpas. Und erkläre uns darin auch die Zwischen-Schöpfung und die Wieder-Schöpfung.“
Sages of Naimisharanya (Munis)
Tattva Level: pashu
Cosmic Event: Request for exposition of kalpa-bheda, manvantara cycles, antara-sarga and prati-sarga
FAQs
By asking about Manvantaras, Kalpas, and repeated creation, the sages seek insight into the cyclical nature of manifestation—knowledge that turns the mind from transient worlds toward Pati (Lord Shiva), the constant reality beyond creation and dissolution.
Cosmic cycles (sarga–pratisarga) highlight that all forms arise and subside, while the Linga signifies Shiva as the enduring ground of being; worship of Saguna Shiva steadies devotion amid change and points to the timeless Nirguna truth indicated by the Linga.
The verse chiefly suggests śravaṇa (listening to sacred cosmology) as contemplation; a practical takeaway is japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—to anchor awareness in Shiva while reflecting on impermanence and recurring cycles.