Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 16

शक्तितत्त्ववर्णनम् / Exposition of the Principle of Śakti

Devanagari script

तद्ध्यानयोगानुगतां प्रपश्यञ्छक्तिमैश्वरीम् । पाशविच्छेदिकां साक्षान्निगूढां स्वगुणैर्भृशम्

Transliteration

taddhyānayogānugatāṃ prapaśyañchaktimaiśvarīm | pāśavicchedikāṃ sākṣānnigūḍhāṃ svaguṇairbhṛśam

Translation

Indem er durch die Disziplin des Meditationsyoga in jene Schau eintrat, erblickte er die herrscherliche göttliche Macht—unmittelbar gegenwärtig—die die Fesseln des paśu (der gebundenen Seele) zerschneidet, und doch zutiefst verborgen bleibt, stark verhüllt durch ihre eigenen Eigenschaften.

Word by Word

• tat: of that
• tat: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); used as dependent member in compound (tad-)

• dhyāna-yoga-anugatām: connected with meditation-yoga
• dhyāna-yoga-anugatām: Karma (कर्म) (object-qualifier of śaktim)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + anugata (कृदन्त; anu-gam धातु)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); anugatā = past passive participle (क्त) used adjectivally; compound sense: 'following/connected with meditation-yoga'

• prapaśyan: seeing/beholding
• prapaśyan: Karta (कर्ता) (agent as participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-paś (धातु) (पश्यन्-शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with implied subject

• śaktim: the Power (Śakti)
• śaktim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• aiśvarīm: sovereign/divine
• aiśvarīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aiśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifier of śaktim

• pāśa-vicchedikām: bond-severing
• pāśa-vicchedikām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + vicchedikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); upapada-tatpuruṣa: 'cutter of bonds'

• sākṣāt: directly, manifestly
• sākṣāt: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sākṣāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

• nigūḍhām: hidden
• nigūḍhām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-gūḍha (कृदन्त; ni-guh धातु, क्त)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle (क्त) used adjectivally

• sva-guṇaiḥ: by (her) own qualities
• sva-guṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: 'by her/its own qualities'

• bhṛśam: greatly, exceedingly
• bhṛśam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya in the Vāyavīya philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that liberation comes when, through dhyāna-yoga, one directly realizes the Lord’s Śakti who alone severs pāśa (bondage) of the pashu (bound soul), even though She is ordinarily veiled by her own guṇas.

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

Linga-worship and Saguna upāsanā stabilize meditation; through that focused dhyāna, the seeker perceives the living presence of Shiva’s inseparable Śakti, whose grace transforms worship into bondage-cutting realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A clear takeaway is dhyāna-yoga: steady contemplation on Shiva with awareness of His Śakti; practically, this aligns with japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and meditative worship that aims at inner release from pāśa.