Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 55

पशु-पाश-पतिविचारः / Inquiry into Paśu, Pāśa, and Pati

Devanagari script

परस्त्रिकालादकलस्स एव परमेश्वरः । सर्ववित्त्रिगुणाधीशो ब्रह्मसाक्षात्परात्परः

Transliteration

parastrikālādakalassa eva parameśvaraḥ | sarvavittriguṇādhīśo brahmasākṣātparātparaḥ

Translation

Er allein ist der höchste Herr—jenseits der drei Zeiten, ohne Teile, transzendent. Er ist der Allwissende, der Lenker der drei Guṇas, das offenbar gewordene Brahman selbst, höher als das Höchste.

Word by Word

• परः: supreme, beyond
• परः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjectival)

• त्रि-कालात्: from the three times (past, present, future)
• त्रि-कालात्: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (three-times = three periods)

• अकलः: partless, without divisions
• अकलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्यय (negation)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अवधारणार्थ (emphasis)

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (supreme + lord)

• सर्व-वित्: all-knowing
• सर्व-वित्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्त: क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त (वित् = knowing), तत्पुरुष (all-knowing)

• त्रि-गुण-अधीशः: lord of the three guṇas
• त्रि-गुण-अधीशः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + अधीश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (lord over the three guṇas)

• ब्रह्म-साक्षात्: directly as Brahman
• ब्रह्म-साक्षात्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; साक्षात् (indeed/directly) अव्यय-प्रधान; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial)

• परात्: than the supreme
• परात्: Apadana (अपादान/From, in comparison)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तुलनार्थ (comparative sense)

• परः: supreme (beyond)
• परः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Transcendence beyond trikāla (past-present-future) asserted; metaphysical ‘beyond time’ frame.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva as Pati—the Supreme Reality beyond time and limitation—who nonetheless governs the guṇas and grants liberation by revealing Himself as the direct, manifest Brahman.

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

Though Shiva is described as transcendent and partless (nirguṇa), Linga-worship provides a saguna support for meditation, leading the devotee from form to the realization of the formless Supreme.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as beyond past-present-future while chanting the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), using Linga-darśana as the focus to transcend the three guṇas.