Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 26

त्रिमूर्तिसाम्यं तथा महेश्वरस्य परमार्थकारणत्वम् | Equality of the Trimūrti and Maheśvara as the Supreme Cause

Devanagari script

चतुर्मुखस्तु ब्रह्मत्वे कालत्वे चांतकस्स्मृतः । सहस्रमूर्धा पुरुषस्तिस्रोवस्थास्स्वयंभुवः

Transliteration

caturmukhastu brahmatve kālatve cāṃtakassmṛtaḥ | sahasramūrdhā puruṣastisrovasthāssvayaṃbhuvaḥ

Translation

In the state of Brahmā-hood He is remembered as the Four-faced One; and in the state of Time He is known as Antaka, the Ender. As the Cosmic Person He is the Thousand-headed Puruṣa; and as the Self-born He abides of Himself in the three states.

Word by Word

• चतुर्मुखः: the four-faced one
• चतुर्मुखः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘having four faces’

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• ब्रह्मत्वे: in the state of Brahmā-hood
• ब्रह्मत्वे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मत्व (प्रातिपदिक: ब्रह्मन् + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अवस्था/अधिकरण

• कालत्वे: in the state of Time
• कालत्वे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालत्व (प्रातिपदिक: काल + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अवस्था/अधिकरण

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

• अन्तकः: the Ender (Death)
• अन्तकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is called
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (क्रिया) / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

• सहस्रमूर्धा: the thousand-headed one
• सहस्रमूर्धा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: ‘having a thousand heads’

• पुरुषः: the Person (Puruṣa)
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• अवस्थाः: states / conditions
• अवस्थाः: Karta (कर्ता) / Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्वयम्भुवः: the self-born one
• स्वयम्भुवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक: स्वयम् + भू)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘self-born’ (epithet)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as the Lord of Time who subdues death; the jyotirliṅga is revered as the timeless Śiva who grants liberation from kāla-bhaya (fear of time/death).

Significance: Darśana/abhisheka is sought for protection from untimely death, pacification of time-related afflictions, and deepening vairāgya toward mokṣa.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kāla-tattva emphasis; death/ending principle (Antaka) within cosmic cycles

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Kala (Time/Antaka)
• Purusha (Cosmic Person)

FAQs

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

It teaches that the one Supreme Lord (Pati) manifests functional powers—creation as Brahmā, dissolution as Kāla/Antaka, and cosmic pervasion as Puruṣa—yet remains the Self-born Reality behind all states of experience.

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

The Linga is worshipped as the sign of the one Lord who takes on many saguna roles for the cosmos; this verse supports seeing Brahmā, Time, and the Cosmic Person as expressions of Shiva’s single sovereignty, not independent absolutes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the indwelling Lord across the three states (waking, dream, deep sleep) while repeating the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating detachment from time (Kāla) and identification with the Self-born Lord.