Shloka 9

पार्वतीवाक्यं—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्व-निरूपणम्

Pārvatī’s Discourse: Establishing Śiva as Parabrahman

Devanagari script

सर्वेषामादिभूतस्य वयोमानं कुतस्ततः । प्रकृतिस्तु ततो जाता किं शक्तेस्तस्य कारणम्

Transliteration

sarveṣāmādibhūtasya vayomānaṃ kutastataḥ | prakṛtistu tato jātā kiṃ śaktestasya kāraṇam

Translation

From where, then, could there be any measure of age for Him who is the primal source of all? And if Prakṛti is said to arise from Him, what, indeed, can be the cause of His Śakti?

Word by Word

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — सर्वनाम-शब्द (pronoun)

• आदि-भूतस्य: of the primordial being
• आदि-भूतस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine); तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): आदि + भूत = ‘primordial being’

• वयः-मानम्: the measure of age
• वयः-मानम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); तत्पुरुष-समास: वयः + मान = ‘measure of age’

• कुतः: from where? how?
• कुतः: हेतु/प्रश्न (cause-query)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय/प्रश्न)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• ततः: thereafter/from that
• ततः: अधिकरण/क्रम (sequence/thereafter)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तदर्थक-अव्यय (from that/thereafter)

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti (Nature)
• प्रकृतिः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध-बोधक (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेष (contrast/emphasis)

• ततः: from that
• ततः: अपादान (Apādāna/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), अपादानार्थ/क्रमार्थ (from that/thereafter)

• जाता: arose/was born
• जाता: क्रिया (verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘has arisen/was born’ (agreeing with प्रकृतिः)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter); प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• शक्तेः: of power/energy
• शक्तेः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Abl.), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine)

• तस्य: of that (one)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc./Neut.); demonstrative pronoun

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti
• Prakriti

FAQs

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

It establishes Śiva as the beginningless Pati (Lord) beyond time and age, and points to His Śakti as causeless—guiding the seeker to contemplate the Supreme as the ultimate ground of all tattvas, including Prakṛti.

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

The Liṅga symbolizes the beginningless, measureless reality of Śiva. Worship of the Saguna form leads the devotee toward realizing the Nirguna truth implied here: the Lord is not conditioned by time, origin, or external causation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as kāla-atīta (beyond time) while japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and/or rudrākṣa to steady remembrance of the causeless Pati and His inseparable Śakti.