Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5

शिवशक्त्यैक्य-तत्त्वविचारः / Inquiry into the Unity of Śiva and Śakti

Para–Apara Ontology

Devanagari script

वस्तु किंचिदचिद्रूपं किंचिद्वस्तु चिदात्मकम् । द्वयं शुद्धमशुद्धं च परं चापरमेव च

Transliteration

vastu kiṃcidacidrūpaṃ kiṃcidvastu cidātmakam | dvayaṃ śuddhamaśuddhaṃ ca paraṃ cāparameva ca

Translation

Manche Wirklichkeiten sind von der Natur des Unbewussten (acit), andere von der Natur des Bewusstseins (cit). Daher wird diese Zweiteilung auch als rein und unrein bezeichnet, ebenso als höher (para) und niedriger (apara).

Word by Word

• वस्तु: a thing/entity
• वस्तु: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• किञ्चित्: some
• किञ्चित्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित/अल्पार्थक सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—'some'

• अचिद्-रूपम्: of the nature of non-consciousness
• अचिद्-रूपम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + चित् + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अचिद् एव रूपम्)

• किञ्चित्: some
• किञ्चित्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Quantifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अनिश्चित/अल्पार्थक सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वस्तु: a thing/entity
• वस्तु: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• चित्-आत्मकम्: having consciousness as its essence
• चित्-आत्मकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित् + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (चित् आत्मा यस्य/यत्)

• द्वयम्: a pair/twofold (reality)
• द्वयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शुद्धम्: pure
• शुद्धम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अशुद्धम्: impure
• अशुद्धम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• परम्: higher/supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपरम्: lower/non-supreme
• अपरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (अव्यय/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya philosophical teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames reality into consciousness (cit) and non-conscious matter (acit), then refines that into pure/impure and higher/lower—preparing the Shaiva Siddhanta view that liberation comes when the soul (paśu) is freed from impurity (pāśa) through the grace of Shiva (Pati).

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

Linga-worship trains the mind to recognize Shiva as the supreme conscious principle (para-cit) beyond the changing acit world; Saguna forms support devotion and concentration, leading toward insight into the higher (para) reality indicated here.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on the distinction between the witnessing consciousness and the insentient body-mind, while practicing Panchakshara japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and maintaining Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids to purity and steadiness.