Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 35

शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice

Devanagari script

मायाविक्षोभको ऽनंतो महेश्वरसमन्वयात् । कालात्मा परमात्मादिः स्थूलः सूक्ष्मः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

māyāvikṣobhako 'naṃto maheśvarasamanvayāt | kālātmā paramātmādiḥ sthūlaḥ sūkṣmaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

In Vereinigung mit Maheśvara wird der Unendliche zum Erschütterer der Māyā; Er wird gepriesen als die Seele der Zeit, als Paramātman, und als Wirklichkeit — grob wie subtil.

Word by Word

• मायाविक्षोभकः: agitator/disturber of māyā
• मायाविक्षोभकः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया + विक्षोभक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); समास: मायायाः विक्षोभकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अनन्तः: the Infinite
• अनन्तः: Karta (कर्ता/apposition to subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular)

• महेश्वरसमन्वयात्: from (his) connection with Maheśvara
• महेश्वरसमन्वयात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान—cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर + समन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Ablative; Singular); समास: महेश्वरे समन्वयः/समन्वयात् (सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• कालात्मा: whose essence is Time / Time-souled
• कालात्मा: Karta (कर्ता/appositive epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); समास: कालः आत्मा यस्य/काल-आत्मा (तत्पुरुष: ‘time as self/essence’)

• परमात्मादिः: beginning with (the notion of) the Supreme Self
• परमात्मादिः: Karta (कर्ता/appositive epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमात्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular); समास: परमात्मा-आदि (तत्पुरुष: ‘beginning with the Supreme Self’)

• स्थूलः: gross
• स्थूलः: Visheshana (विशेषण/predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular)

• सूक्ष्मः: subtle
• सूक्ष्मः: Visheshana (विशेषण/predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Singular)

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate—passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (Masculine; Nom; Singular); कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय (predicative PPP: ‘is proclaimed’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as the Lord of Time who grants protection and liberation; the Ujjayinī liṅga is famed as a self-manifest (svayaṃbhū) jyotirliṅga where Śiva is worshipped as Mahākāla, subduing time and death.

Significance: Darśana of Mahākāla is sought for fearlessness before death, removal of kāla-doṣa, and deepened vairāgya leading toward mokṣa.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents Shiva (Maheśvara) as the Supreme Reality who governs Māyā and Time, pervading both subtle and gross existence; realizing Him as Paramātman is the doorway to liberation beyond bondage (pāśa).

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

The verse supports Saguna worship (like the Śiva-liṅga) as a valid approach to the same Infinite Lord who is also subtle and transcendent; the liṅga becomes a concrete focus for the One who pervades both manifest (sthūla) and unmanifest (sūkṣma).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as Kāla and Paramātman while repeating the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using the liṅga as a support for concentration—contemplating how the Lord remains subtle yet appears as the entire gross universe through Māyā.