Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8

कालतत्त्वनिर्णयः / Doctrine of Kāla (Time) and Its Subordination to Śiva

Devanagari script

तस्यांशांशमयी मुक्तिः कालात्मनि महात्मनि । ततो निष्क्रम्य संक्रांता विसृष्टाग्रेरिवायसी

Transliteration

tasyāṃśāṃśamayī muktiḥ kālātmani mahātmani | tato niṣkramya saṃkrāṃtā visṛṣṭāgrerivāyasī

Translation

Die Befreiung, aus Anteil um Anteil Seines eigenen Wesens gewoben, weilt in jener großen Seele, die die Zeit selbst ist. Aus Ihm tritt sie hervor und schreitet fort—wie ein eiserner Pfeil, aus dem Feuer geschossen.

Word by Word

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; 'of him/of that'

• aṃśa: portion
• aṃśa: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, stem used in compound; 'portion'

• aṃśa: (sub-)portion
• aṃśa: Samāsa-aṅga (समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, stem used in compound; repetition indicates 'portion of a portion'

• mayī: consisting of minute portions
• mayī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; compound: aṃśa-aṃśa-mayī = 'consisting of portions of portions' (तत्पुरुष)

• muktiḥ: liberation
• muktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• kāla-ātmani: in the one whose self is Time
• kāla-ātmani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; compound: kālātmani = kāla-ātmani, 'in the Time-souled (one)' (तत्पुरुष)

• mahā-ātmani: in the great-souled (one)
• mahā-ātmani: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; compound: mahātmani = mahā-ātmani, 'in the great-souled' (कर्मधारय)

• tataḥ: thereupon/from that
• tataḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb (अव्यय), ablatival sense 'from there/thereupon'

• niṣkramya: having departed
• niṣkramya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nis-√kram (क्रम्-धातु; ल्यप्-क्त्वान्त)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), 'having gone out'

• saṃkrāṃtā: having passed/transferred
• saṃkrāṃtā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√kram (क्रम्-धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; used predicatively: 'having transferred/migrated'

• visṛṣṭāt: from (what is) released
• visṛṣṭāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√sṛj (सृज्-धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle used adjectivally; Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (neuter/masc.); qualifies 'agni' in compound sense

• agreḥ: from fire
• agreḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; Vedic/epic form agreḥ for agneḥ

• iva: like, as
• iva: Upamāna-marker (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा-बोधक अव्यय)

• āyasī: iron (thing), made of iron
• āyasī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; 'made of iron' (iron ball/iron piece implied)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents moksha as arising from Shiva—the Mahatman who is also Kāla (Time)—showing liberation is not merely personal effort but the Lord’s own power and grace manifesting in the bound soul.

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

By identifying the Supreme as Kāla and the source of liberation, it supports Saguna worship (Linga-upāsanā) as a concrete means to approach the transcendent Lord whose grace alone causes the soul’s transition into freedom.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as Kāla (the inner ruler of all change) while repeating the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—seeking His anugraha (grace) for the soul’s ‘transition’ into mukti.