Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 40

दक्षयज्ञदर्शनम् — The Vision of Dakṣa’s Great Sacrifice

and the Onset of Vīrabhadra’s Terror

Devanagari script

भ्रमंति देवानपि विद्रवंतः खमंडले पर्वतकूटकल्पाः । उत्पाट्य चोत्पाट्यगृहाणि केचित्सजालवातायनवेदिकानि

Transliteration

bhramaṃti devānapi vidravaṃtaḥ khamaṃḍale parvatakūṭakalpāḥ | utpāṭya cotpāṭyagṛhāṇi kecitsajālavātāyanavedikāni

Translation

Rushing about and driving even the gods into flight, they moved through the vault of the sky like mountain-peaks. Tearing up and flinging away, some of them uprooted houses—complete with their latticed windows and raised platforms.

Word by Word

• bhramanti: they whirl/roam
• bhramanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhram (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• devān: the gods
• devān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक (particle: also/even)

• vidravantaḥ: running about/fleeing
• vidravantaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-drav (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kha-maṇḍale: in the sky-region
• kha-maṇḍale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kha (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘खस्य मण्डले’ = in the sphere of the sky

• parvata-kūṭa-kalpāḥ: like mountain-peaks
• parvata-kūṭa-kalpāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक) + kūṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘पर्वतकूटवत् कल्पाः’ = resembling mountain-peaks

• utpāṭya: having uprooted
• utpāṭya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut-pāṭ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund), ‘having uprooted/torn out’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• utpāṭya: having torn out (again)
• utpāṭya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut-pāṭ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (Gerund); पुनरुक्ति-बल (repetition for emphasis)

• gṛhāṇi: houses
• gṛhāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• sa-jāla-vātāyana-vedikāni: with nets, windows, and platforms
• sa-jāla-vātāyana-vedikāni: Viśeṣaṇa of Karma (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + jāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vātāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + vedikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘जालैः सह वाता-यनैः वेदिकाभिः च युक्तानि’ = furnished with nets, windows, and platforms/altars

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Vīrabhadra

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

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

It depicts overwhelming cosmic turbulence that even the devas cannot withstand, pointing to the Shaiva Siddhanta insight that all worldly supports are fragile, while refuge in Pati (Lord Shiva) alone is steady and liberating.

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

When the manifest world is shaken, the Linga signifies the stable presence of Shiva within change—Saguna worship (arcana, japa, dhyana) becomes the practical means to anchor the mind and turn toward the imperishable reality behind the turmoil.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Take shelter in Panchakshara japa (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with steady breath and, if following Purana practice, wear Rudraksha and apply Tripundra (bhasma) as reminders of detachment and Shiva-refuge amid instability.