Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7

शक्तितत्त्ववर्णनम् / Exposition of the Principle of Śakti

Devanagari script

आज्ञा चैव परं ब्रह्म द्वे विद्ये च परापरे । शुद्धविद्या शुद्धकला सर्वं शक्तिकृतं यतः

Transliteration

ājñā caiva paraṃ brahma dve vidye ca parāpare | śuddhavidyā śuddhakalā sarvaṃ śaktikṛtaṃ yataḥ

Translation

«Ājñā» (der göttliche Befehl, die gebietende Ordnung) ist wahrlich das höchste Brahman. Es gibt zwei Erkenntnisse — die höhere und die niedrigere. Reines Wissen und reine Kraft sind so, denn alles wird durch Śakti bewirkt.

Word by Word

• आज्ञा: command / authority
• आज्ञा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; ब्रह्म इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म: Brahman / Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) द्विवचन; विद्ये इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विद्ये: knowledges / sciences
• विद्ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) द्विवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• परा: higher
• परा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) द्विवचन (द्वे विद्ये इत्यन्वयः)

• अपरा: lower
• अपरा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) द्विवचन (द्वे विद्ये इत्यन्वयः)

• शुद्धविद्या: pure knowledge
• शुद्धविद्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• शुद्धकला: pure power/kalā
• शुद्धकला: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन

• शक्तिकृतम्: made by Śakti
• शक्तिकृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु; क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः (शक्त्या कृतम्)

• यतः: because / since
• यतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: ‘because/since’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that the Supreme Reality operates as Ājñā—divine ordinance—and that liberation-oriented wisdom (parā-vidyā) is inseparable from Śakti, since all manifestation and transformation occur through Her power under Shiva’s sovereignty.

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

Linga worship honors Shiva as the transcendent Brahman (paraṃ brahma) while also acknowledging His manifest governance through Śakti; thus Saguna worship becomes a doorway to realizing the higher knowledge (parā-vidyā) beyond merely worldly learning (aparā-vidyā).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the Supreme Lord whose Ājñā directs all, and pair japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with contemplation that all experiences arise through Śakti—cultivating pure knowledge (śuddhavidyā) rather than only external or lower knowledge.