Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

पशुपाशपतिज्ञान-प्राप्तिः

Acquisition of Paśupati–Pāśa Knowledge

Devanagari script

वायुरुवाच । आवृतिर्व्यपिनो ऽपि स्याद्व्यापि यस्मात्कलाद्यपि । हेतुः कर्मैव भोगार्थं निवर्तेत मलक्षयात्

Transliteration

vāyuruvāca | āvṛtirvyapino 'pi syādvyāpi yasmātkalādyapi | hetuḥ karmaiva bhogārthaṃ nivarteta malakṣayāt

Translation

Vāyu sprach: Selbst für den All-Durchdringenden kann es eine Verhüllung (Begrenzung) geben, denn die verhüllende Kraft—beginnend mit Kalā und den übrigen—durchdringt ebenfalls alles. Um der Erfahrung des Genusses (bhoga) willen wird das Karma selbst zur Ursache; und wenn die Unreinheit (mala) schwindet, hört dieses Karma auf zu binden.

Word by Word

• वायुः: Vāyu
• वायुः: कर्ता (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आवृतिः: covering/veiling; limitation
• आवृतिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• व्यपिनः: of the all-pervading (one)
• व्यपिनः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of the all-pervading’

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपवादार्थे ‘also/even’

• स्यात्: may be / would be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• व्यापि: all-pervading
• व्यापि: विशेषण (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adjectival predicate)

• यस्मात्: because (from the fact) that
• यस्मात्: अपादान (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे

• कला-आदि: from/than kalā and the rest
• कला-आदि: अपादान (Ablative comparison/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative) ‘कलादि’ = ‘कला च आदयः च’ (आदि-प्रयोगः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; ‘from/than kalā etc.’

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• हेतुः: cause
• हेतुः: कर्ता/प्रधाना (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कर्म: action/karma
• कर्म: सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Apposition to हेतुः/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• भोग-अर्थम्: for enjoyment
• भोग-अर्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/प्रयोजनार्थकः ‘भोगाय अर्थः’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रयोजन (purpose)

• निवर्तेत: would cease/turn back
• निवर्तेत: क्रिया (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मल-क्षयात्: from the destruction of impurity
• मल-क्षयात्: अपादान (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘मलस्य क्षयः’; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vayu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It explains Shaiva Siddhanta bondage: even the all-pervading Self appears limited due to pervasive coverings (kalā and related limiting factors), and karma binds only as long as impurity (mala) remains; liberation follows the waning of mala and the cessation of binding karma.

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

Worship of Shiva as Linga/Saguna Shiva is a practical means to reduce mala through devotion, right conduct, and grace-oriented practice; as mala diminishes, karmic compulsion for bhoga weakens, aligning the devotee with Shiva’s all-pervading nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A clear takeaway is karma-purification and mala-kṣaya through Shiva-upāsanā—regular japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) as a reminder of purity, and disciplined yoga/meditation to lessen karmic impulses.