Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7

सत्रप्रवृत्तिः — वायोः आगमनं च

Commencement of the Satra and the Arrival of Vāyu

Devanagari script

आकाशयोनिर्द्विगुणः स्पर्शशब्दसमन्वयात् । तेजसां प्रकृतिश्चेति यमाहुस्तत्त्वचिंतकाः

Transliteration

ākāśayonirdviguṇaḥ sparśaśabdasamanvayāt | tejasāṃ prakṛtiśceti yamāhustattvaciṃtakāḥ

Translation

Weil es aus dem Äther (ākāśa) hervorgeht, heißt es, es sei mit zwei Eigenschaften versehen: Klang und Berührung. Die Tattva-Denker erklären, dies sei die eigentliche Natur (prakṛti) des Feuers (tejas).

Word by Word

• आकाशयोनिः: Ākāśa as the source/womb
• आकाशयोनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय

• द्विगुणः: twofold
• द्विगुणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of आकाशयोनिः): ‘twofold’

• स्पर्शशब्दसमन्वयात्: from the combination of touch and sound
• स्पर्शशब्दसमन्वयात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श + शब्द + समन्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान/हेतु (ablative of cause): ‘from/owing to the conjunction of touch and sound’

• तेजसाम्: of the fires/tejas
• तेजसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• प्रकृतिः: the source/nature
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• यम्: whom/which
• यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (object of आहुः)

• आहुः: they say; they call
• आहुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect; present sense ‘they say’), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• तत्त्वचिन्तकाः: thinkers of principles; philosophers
• तत्त्वचिन्तकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व + चिन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृ (subject of आहुः)

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 teaches tattva-viveka (discriminative insight) by mapping how the elements unfold through their qualities, guiding the seeker to see the world as a structured field of experience and turn inward to the Pati (Shiva) beyond the tattvas.

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

By understanding the elements and their qualities, the devotee offers worship with clarity—recognizing that all sensory qualities (like sound and touch) belong to the manifest realm, while the Shiva-Linga signifies the Lord who transcends and yet pervades these tattvas.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is bhūta-śuddhi and mantra-japa: meditate on the sensory qualities (sound, touch) as limited tattvas, then steady the mind in Panchakshara japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to move from the seen qualities toward Shiva-consciousness.