Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)

Devanagari script

प्रतिसर्गप्रसूतानां ब्रह्मणां शास्त्रविस्तरम् । उपदेष्टा स एवादौ कालावच्छेदवर्तिनाम्

Transliteration

pratisargaprasūtānāṃ brahmaṇāṃ śāstravistaram | upadeṣṭā sa evādau kālāvacchedavartinām

Translation

Für die Brahmās, die in jedem aufeinanderfolgenden Schöpfungszyklus hervorgehen, ist Er allein es, der gleich zu Beginn die ganze Weite der Śāstras jenen Wesen darlegt, die innerhalb der Grenzen der Zeit leben.

Word by Word

• prati-sarga-prasūtānām: of those produced in the successive creations
• prati-sarga-prasūtānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक) + prasūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √sū (धातु) + pra)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन); adjective used substantively; prasūta = past passive participle (क्त/कृत्), ‘born/produced’; compound sense: ‘produced in each creation/secondary creation’

• brahmaṇām: of the Brahmās
• brahmaṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śāstra-vistaram: the expansion/extent of the teaching
• śāstra-vistaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: शास्त्रस्य विस्तारः

• upadeṣṭā: the instructor
• upadeṣṭā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upadeṣṭṛ (प्रातिपदिक; √diś (धातु) with upa-; agent noun)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agent noun (कर्तृवाचक)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed / alone
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/emphasis (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय)

• ādau: at the beginning
• ādau: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial locative (सप्तमी-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभावः), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन) used adverbially: ‘in the beginning’

• kāla-avaccheda-vartinām: of those subject to temporal limitation
• kāla-avaccheda-vartinām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + avaccheda (प्रातिपदिक) + vartin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन); vartin = ‘abiding/being in’; compound: ‘those abiding within temporal limitation’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pratisarga (successive cycles of creation)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Kala (Time)

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva as the timeless Pati (Lord) who repeatedly becomes the first Guru, revealing śāstra to Brahmā and thereby enabling time-bound souls to move from bondage (pāśa) toward liberation.

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

By affirming Shiva as the original instructor of sacred knowledge, it supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-upāsanā—as a revealed, guided path given by Shiva Himself for beings living within time and limitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A key takeaway is to approach Shiva as Sadguru through daily japa of the Panchākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and contemplative study (svādhyāya) of Shaiva teachings, seeking right instruction (upadeśa) for liberation.