Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 70

अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace

Devanagari script

देवयोन्यष्टकं मुख्यं मानुष्यमथ मध्यमम् । पक्ष्यादयो ऽधमाः पञ्चयोनयस्ताश्चतुर्दश

Transliteration

devayonyaṣṭakaṃ mukhyaṃ mānuṣyamatha madhyamam | pakṣyādayo 'dhamāḥ pañcayonayastāścaturdaśa

Translation

Unter den vierzehn Arten der Geburt (yoni) sind die acht göttlichen Schoße die vornehmsten; der Menschenstand steht in mittlerem Rang; und die fünf niederen Geburten—beginnend mit den Vögeln—gelten als gering.

Word by Word

• देव-योनि-अष्टकम्: the set of eight divine wombs/species
• देव-योनि-अष्टकम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Karma (कर्म) (context-dependent predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (देवानां योनयः) + संख्यावाचक-अष्टक

• मुख्यम्: principal, foremost
• मुख्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मानुष्यम्: the human (category)
• मानुष्यम्: Karta (कर्ता) / Karma (कर्म) (as predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• अथ: then, and now
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• मध्यमम्: middle, intermediate
• मध्यमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मानुष्यम् इत्यस्य)

• पक्षि-आदयः: birds and others
• पक्षि-आदयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पक्षिणः आदयः = birds and the rest)

• अधमाः: lowest, inferior
• अधमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पक्ष्यादयः इत्यस्य)

• पञ्च-योनयः: the five wombs/species
• पञ्च-योनयः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to पक्ष्यादयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च योनयः)

• ताः: those (they)
• ताः: Karta (कर्ता) (referring to yonayaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) / Saṅkhyā (संख्या-निर्देश)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः/प्रातिपदिकम्; (ताः ... चतुर्दश = they are fourteen)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames embodied existence as graded across fourteen yonis, emphasizing that human birth is a crucial middle station where conscious effort, right conduct, and Shiva-bhakti can redirect karma toward liberation.

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

By highlighting the rarity and value of human embodiment for spiritual striving, it implicitly supports Linga-worship and devotion to Saguna Shiva as accessible disciplines through which the bound soul (paśu) can approach the Lord (Pati).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is to use human life for steady Shiva-upāsanā—daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined worship—so karma is purified rather than leading to lower births.