Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 19

स्कन्दसरः (Skandasara) — तीर्थवर्णनम् / Description of the Skandasara Sacred Lake

Devanagari script

सनत्कुमारमासीनं शश्वद्बालवपुर्धरम् । तत्कालमात्रोपरतं समाधेरचलात्मनः

Transliteration

sanatkumāramāsīnaṃ śaśvadbālavapurdharam | tatkālamātroparataṃ samādheracalātmanaḥ

Translation

Sie erblickten Sanatkumāra sitzend—stets die Gestalt eines jugendlichen Knaben tragend—der nur für diesen Augenblick aus dem Samādhi zurückgetreten war; sein innerstes Wesen blieb unbewegt und standhaft.

Word by Word

• सनत्कुमारम्: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्कुमारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत्कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; proper name; समास: सनत् (ever/ancient) + कुमार (youth)

• आसीनम्: seated
• आसीनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्तवतु-भावे/क्त), Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying सनत्कुमारम्

• शश्वत्: always/constantly
• शश्वत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शश्वत् (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक)

• बाल-वपुः-धरम्: bearing a childlike form
• बाल-वपुः-धरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + √धृ (धातु) > धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; समास: बालं वपुः (childlike body) + धर (bearing)

• तत्-काल-मात्र-उपरतम्: ceased only for that moment
• तत्-काल-मात्र-उपरतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उप+√रम् (धातु) > उपरत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; समास: तत्काले (at that time) + मात्र (only) + उपरत (ceased)

• समाधेः: from samādhi (meditative absorption)
• समाधेः: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (or Genitive 6th possible by context); here: 'from samādhi' with उपरत

• अचल-आत्मनः: of the steadfast-souled one
• अचल-आत्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; 'of the unmoving-souled one' qualifying सनत्कुमारम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara

FAQs

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

It presents the ideal Shaiva yogin: one whose consciousness is steady (acala) and who enters samādhi naturally, emerging only as needed—showing mastery over mind and senses while remaining oriented to liberation under Pati (Śiva).

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

Sanatkumāra’s unwavering samādhi supports the Shaiva path where Saguna worship (Linga, mantra, pūjā) purifies the pashu (bound soul) and leads inward toward the stillness in which Śiva is realized as the supreme Pati beyond agitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is steady dhyāna and mantra-japa—especially pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—cultivating one-pointedness that matures into samādhi; this can be supported by Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids to remembrance.