Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

पाशुपतज्ञानप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Pāśupata Knowledge

Paśu–Pāśa–Paśupati

Devanagari script

चित्तं चेतयते चापि मनः संकल्पयत्यपि । श्रोत्रादीनि च गृह्णन्ति शब्दादीन्विषयान् पृथक्

Transliteration

cittaṃ cetayate cāpi manaḥ saṃkalpayatyapi | śrotrādīni ca gṛhṇanti śabdādīnviṣayān pṛthak

Translation

Das citta (Geiststoff) ist der Sitz des Gewahrseins, und das manas (Geist) bildet Absichten und Entschlüsse. Die Sinne, beginnend mit dem Ohr, erfassen jeweils getrennt ihre Gegenstände—Klang und die übrigen.

Word by Word

• cittam: mind-stuff, citta
• cittam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• cetayate: perceives/attends, becomes aware
• cetayate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cit/चित् (धातु, 'चेतने')
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense not required here (simple denominative/verb usage: 'is conscious/attends')

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय; 'also'

• manaḥ: mind (manas)
• manaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• saṃkalpayati: forms intentions, imagines
• saṃkalpayati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-√kḷp/कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः saṃ-

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, अव्यय

• śrotra-ādīni: the ear etc. (sense-organs)
• śrotra-ādīni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrotra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('श्रोत्रं आदिः येषाम्'—list marker)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• gṛhṇanti: grasp, apprehend
• gṛhṇanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah/ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• śabda-ādīn: sounds etc. (sense-objects)
• śabda-ādīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('शब्दः आदिः येषाम्'—list marker)

• viṣayān: objects (of sense)
• viṣayān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; appositional to śabdādīn

• pṛthak: separately, distinctly
• pṛthak: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: psychocosmic mapping of antaḥkaraṇa and indriyas (citta/manas and jñānendriya objects)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It distinguishes inner faculties (citta and manas) from the outer senses, showing how bondage (pāśa) operates through separate grasping of sense-objects; liberation arises when awareness is reoriented toward Pati (Shiva) rather than scattered among viṣayas.

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

Linga-worship gathers the dispersed senses into a single-pointed focus; instead of the ear and other senses running outward to their objects, devotion steadies manas and clarifies citta, making the mind fit to contemplate Shiva as the indwelling Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice sense-restraint (pratyāhāra) and one-pointed japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), supported by Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and rudrākṣa to stabilize manas and purify citta.