Shloka 14

शिवमायाप्रभाववर्णनम्

Description of the Power/Effects of Śiva’s Māyā

Devanagari script

शिवस्सर्वमयः पुंसां स्वयं वेद्यः परात्परः । वक्तुं न शक्यते यश्च परं चानु परं च यत्

Transliteration

śivassarvamayaḥ puṃsāṃ svayaṃ vedyaḥ parātparaḥ | vaktuṃ na śakyate yaśca paraṃ cānu paraṃ ca yat

Translation

Śiva is all-pervading in all beings; He is to be realized by oneself and is higher than the highest. He cannot truly be expressed in words—He is the Supreme, and yet He is also that which is beyond even the Supreme.

Word by Word

• शिवः: Shiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• सर्वमयः: all-pervading / consisting of all
• सर्वमयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वेण मयः = consisting of all)

• पुंसाम्: of men / of beings
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• स्वयम्: by himself; directly
• स्वयम्: Kriyā-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (by oneself)

• वेद्यः: knowable
• वेद्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be known’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परात्: beyond (than)
• परात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; ‘from/than the beyond’

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; ‘to speak’

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• शक्यते: is possible / can be
• शक्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• परम्: the supreme
• परम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here as predicate/accusative sense ‘the supreme’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अनु: after; following
• अनु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्यय (after, following)

• परम्: the supreme
• परम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmi (narrating the Umāsaṃhitā teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Śiva as Pati—the all-pervading Supreme who is ultimately known through direct inner realization, not merely through concepts or speech; this points to liberation through Śiva-jñāna (God-realization).

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

Though Śiva is beyond words and beyond the highest (nirguṇa-paratattva), devotees approach Him through saguna forms like the Liṅga; the form supports meditation until the formless truth is realized within.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Emphasize japa and dhyāna aimed at direct realization—especially Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady inner contemplation; external aids like bhasma and rudrākṣa can support discipline, but the verse stresses self-realization as the culmination.