Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 61

सर्‍वेश्वर-परमकारण-निरूपणम् / The Supreme Lord as the Uncaused Cause

Devanagari script

ऋषिभिर्यत्र विद्वद्भिः शब्दार्थन्यायकोविदैः । शक्तिप्रज्ञाक्रियायोगैर्विधिरासीदनुष्ठितः

Transliteration

ṛṣibhiryatra vidvadbhiḥ śabdārthanyāyakovidaiḥ | śaktiprajñākriyāyogairvidhirāsīdanuṣṭhitaḥ

Translation

Dort vollzogen gelehrte Seher—kundig in der rechten Erfassung von Wort und Sinn und geübt im Schlussfolgern—die vorgeschriebenen Riten ordnungsgemäß, getragen von geistiger Kraft, unterscheidender Weisheit und disziplinierter heiliger Handlung.

Word by Word

• ṛṣibhiḥ: by sages
• ṛṣibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd: तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Relative adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• vidvadbhiḥ: by learned ones
• vidvadbhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd: तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śabda-artha-nyāya-kovidaiḥ: by those skilled in word, meaning, and logic
• śabda-artha-nyāya-kovidaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + nyāya (प्रातिपदिक) + kovida (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd: तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); multi-member tatpuruṣa: 'skilled in word, meaning, and logic'

• śakti-prajñā-kriyā-yogaiḥ: by unions of power, wisdom, and action
• śakti-prajñā-kriyā-yogaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + prajñā (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd: तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); dvandva/collective enumeration: 'with combinations of power, insight, and action'

• vidhiḥ: the rite; the prescribed procedure
• vidhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st: प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• anuṣṭhitaḥ: performed; duly carried out
• anuṣṭhitaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Predicate (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√sthā (धातु) → anuṣṭhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत), Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st: प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with vidhiḥ

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Emphasis is on vidhi (right performance) grounded in śakti–prajñā–kriyā-yoga; it functions as a general dharma/adhikāra statement rather than a jyotirliṅga legend.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Rishis

FAQs

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

It teaches that sacred observance becomes fruitful when grounded in right understanding (śabdārtha), sound discernment (nyāya), inner potency (śakti), and disciplined practice (kriyā-yoga)—a Shaiva ideal where knowledge and ritual mature into liberation-oriented worship.

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

While the verse does not name the Liṅga directly, it sets the standard for Saguna Shiva worship: rites are not mere externals but must be performed with correct meaning, reasoning, and yogic integration—making pūjā a conscious, inwardly empowered offering to Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It implies disciplined kriyā-yoga alongside ritual—performing prescribed worship with focused mind and understanding; in Shaiva practice this aligns with mantra-japa (such as the Panchakshara) and attentive observance of vidhi rather than mechanical performance.