Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28

षडध्व-शुद्धिः

Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path

Devanagari script

विषयेन्द्रियदेहादिजनकं तस्य भावयेत् । व्योमादिभूतरूपिण्यः शांत्यतीतादयः कलाः

Transliteration

viṣayendriyadehādijanakaṃ tasya bhāvayet | vyomādibhūtarūpiṇyaḥ śāṃtyatītādayaḥ kalāḥ

Translation

Man soll Ihn als die Quelle betrachten, die die Gegenstände der Erfahrung, die Sinne und den Leib hervorbringt. Die göttlichen Kräfte (kalā), beginnend mit Śānti und Atītā, die die Gestalten der Elemente wie Äther annehmen, sind Seine Offenbarungen.

Word by Word

• विषय-इन्द्रिय-देह-आदि-जनकम्: the generator of objects, senses, body, etc.
• विषय-इन्द्रिय-देह-आदि-जनकम्: कर्म (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + जनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (implicit object, e.g., पाशम्/तत्); ‘producer of objects, senses, body, etc.’

• तस्य: of that / its
• तस्य: षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• भावयेत्: should contemplate / visualize
• भावयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) (भावयति—णिजन्त causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; √भू (causative भावय-) ‘to contemplate/bring into mind’

• व्योम-आदि-भूत-रूपिण्यः: having forms of the elements beginning with ether
• व्योम-आदि-भूत-रूपिण्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्योम (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् कलाः; ‘having the forms of elements beginning with ether’

• शान्ति-अतीत-आदयः: beginning with Śānti and Atītā
• शान्ति-अतीत-आदयः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् कलाः; ‘beginning with Śānti and Atītā’

• कलाः: the kalās (powers/parts)
• कलाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृ/उद्देश्य (topic/subject)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It directs the seeker to meditate on Shiva (Pati) as the inner cause of embodied experience—objects, senses, and the body—so that creation is understood as His power, and bondage to experience (pāśa) is loosened through right insight.

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

In Linga-worship, the devotee venerates Shiva as both transcendent and immanent: this verse supports Saguna contemplation by seeing the elements and cosmic powers (kalās) as His manifestations, while still pointing to Him as the ultimate source beyond them.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It recommends dhyāna (contemplation): mentally trace sense-objects, senses, body, and elements back to Shiva as their source, supporting mantra-japa such as the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) as a steady aid to this inward meditation.