Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 12

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा परमेशानं शक्ररूपधरं शिवम् । प्रणम्य शिरसा प्राह महामुनिवरः स्वयम्

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā parameśānaṃ śakrarūpadharaṃ śivam | praṇamya śirasā prāha mahāmunivaraḥ svayam

Translation

Als er den höchsten Herrn, Śiva, erblickte, der die Gestalt Śakras (Indras) angenommen hatte, verneigte sich der erhabene große Weise mit dem Haupt und sprach dann selbst.

Word by Word

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यबन्त), ‘having seen’

• parameśānam: the Supreme Lord
• parameśānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parameśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to tam

• śakra-rūpa-dharam: bearing the form of Śakra (Indra)
• śakra-rūpa-dharam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: śakra-rūpa = ‘Indra’s form’; dhara = ‘bearing’

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to tam

• praṇamya: having bowed
• praṇamya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇam (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त), ‘having bowed’

• śirasā: with (his) head
• śirasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāha: said/spoke
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āh (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, Perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahā-muni-varaḥ: the great best sage
• mahā-muni-varaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: muni-vara = ‘best of sages’; mahā qualifying

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta-prayoga (कर्तृ-विशेषण/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय), emphatic ‘himself’

Speaker

Mahāmuni (a great sage, narrator within the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakra (Indra)
• Parameshana

FAQs

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

It highlights Śiva as Parameśvara who can assume any form, while the devotee-sage responds with humility (praṇāma) and truthful speech—an essential Shaiva posture of surrender to Pati, the Lord.

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

Śiva is shown as Saguna—manifest in a recognizable form (Śakra)—yet still Parameśāna. Likewise, Linga worship trains the mind to honor the visible symbol while realizing the Lord’s transcendence beyond all forms.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The immediate practice is praṇāma (bowing with the head) followed by reverent recitation/speech; as a devotional takeaway, one may bow before the Śiva-liṅga, apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma), and repeat the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with humility.