Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace

Devanagari script

सर्वं शिवो ऽनुगृह्णाति न निगृह्णाति किंचन । निगृह्णतां तु ये दोषाश्शिवे तेषामसंभवात्

Transliteration

sarvaṃ śivo 'nugṛhṇāti na nigṛhṇāti kiṃcana | nigṛhṇatāṃ tu ye doṣāśśive teṣāmasaṃbhavāt

Translation

Śiva bestows grace upon all and punishes no one at all. For the faults that belong to those who punish cannot arise in Śiva, since such defects are impossible in Him.

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्व-समूह (all as object)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनुगृह्णाति: favors; shows grace to
• अनुगृह्णाति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• निगृह्णाति: restrains; punishes
• निगृह्णाति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किंचन: anything (at all)
• किंचन: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचन (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; अनिश्चित/अल्पार्थ (indefinite ‘anything’)

• निगृह्णताम्: of (those) who punish
• निगृह्णताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + ग्रह् (धातु) → निगृह्णत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle) ‘निगृह्णत्’; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘of those who punish/restrain’

• तु: but; however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण (adversative/emphatic particle)

• ये: which; those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• दोषाः: faults; defects
• दोषाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शिवे: in Śiva
• शिवे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• असंभवात्: because of (their) impossibility/non-occurrence
• असंभवात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva, as Pati (the Supreme Lord), is intrinsically free from defects and operates through anugraha (grace), guiding souls toward purification and liberation rather than acting from punitive fault-based impulses.

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

Linga worship approaches Śiva as the compassionate, accessible Lord (saguṇa for devotion), whose very nature is to uplift the devotee; the verse supports worship based on trust in His grace rather than fear of punishment.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate grace-oriented devotion: daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with a humble prayer for anugraha; optionally accompany it with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as Shaiva reminders of purity and surrender.