Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21

मन्वन्तर-कल्प-प्रश्नोत्तरम् / Discourse on Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Re-creation

Devanagari script

एवं संचिंतयन्ब्रह्मा बुबुधे नैव भूस्थितिम् । तदा सस्मार पितरं भगवंतं त्रिलोचनम्

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃciṃtayanbrahmā bubudhe naiva bhūsthitim | tadā sasmāra pitaraṃ bhagavaṃtaṃ trilocanam

Translation

So nachsinnend, immer wieder, vermochte Brahmā den wahren Zustand und Grund des Seins nicht zu erfassen. Da gedachte er seines Vaters: des seligen Herrn, des Dreiäugigen (Śiva).

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Prakāra-avyaya (प्रकार-अव्यय/Adverb of manner)

• saṃciṃtayan: thinking/reflecting
• saṃciṃtayan: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-cint (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Śatṛ-present participle (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन)

• bubudhe: understood/realized
• bubudhe: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (perfect/लिट्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha (निषेध/Negation particle)

• eva: indeed/at all
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/Emphatic particle)

• bhū-sthitim: the condition of the earth
• bhū-sthitim: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक) + sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: 'bhūyāḥ sthitiḥ' (state/condition of the earth)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (काल-अव्यय/Temporal adverb)

• sasmāra: remembered
• sasmāra: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (perfect/लिट्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन)

• bhagavantam: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavantam: Karma (कर्म/Apposition to pitaram)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन)

• tri-locanam: the three-eyed one
• tri-locanam: Karma (कर्म/Apposition to pitaram)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन); Dvigu: 'trīṇi locanāni yasya' (three-eyed) used as name/epithet

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: cosmic disorientation during dissolution/overflow of waters; Brahmā’s inability to locate bhū-sthiti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It shows that limited intellect (even Brahmā’s) cannot fully grasp the foundation of reality; liberation-knowledge dawns when one turns to Pati—Lord Śiva—as the supreme source and revealer.

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

Brahmā’s remembrance of Trilocana indicates taking refuge in Saguna Śiva—the compassionate, knowable Lord—who is worshiped through the Liṅga as the accessible form of the transcendent (Nirguṇa) reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is smaraṇa (remembrance) of Śiva—mentally invoking Trilocana, ideally with japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” when confusion arises and clarity is sought.