Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

कालमान-निर्णयः

Determination of the Measures of Time

Devanagari script

अहर्न विद्यते तस्य न रात्रिरिति धारयेत् । एषोपचारः क्रियते लोकानां हितकाम्यया

Transliteration

aharna vidyate tasya na rātririti dhārayet | eṣopacāraḥ kriyate lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā

Translation

One should firmly hold this understanding: for Him there is no ‘day’ and no ‘night’. This manner of speaking is employed only out of a wish for the welfare of the world (for the sake of guiding ordinary beings).

Word by Word

• अहः: day
• अहः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्/अहः (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (N), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन (Sg)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• विद्यते: exists
• विद्यते: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Sg); आत्मनेपदम्; भावे/अस्त्यर्थे ‘exists’

• तस्य: for him/of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Gen/6th), एकवचन (Sg)

• न: nor/not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन (Sg)

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्य-चिह्न (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• धारयेत्: should consider/maintain
• धारयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Sg); परस्मैपदम्; ‘should hold/consider’

• एषः: this
• एषः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन (Sg)

• उपचारः: convention/observance
• उपचारः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन (Sg)

• क्रियते: is done
• क्रियते: क्रिया (Verb/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Sg); कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपदम्

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/of people
• लोकानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Gen/6th), बहुवचन (Pl)

• हितकाम्यया: for the sake of desiring welfare
• हितकाम्यया: करण/हेतु (Instrument/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हित + काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हितस्य काम्या = welfare-desiring); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Ins/3rd), एकवचन (Sg)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches Shiva’s transcendence: as the supreme Pati, He is beyond temporal divisions like day and night, which belong to the changing world (pāśa) and not to the timeless Lord.

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

Though Shiva is beyond time, devotees worship Him through saguna forms like the Linga using worldly conventions (times, rituals, descriptions). The verse clarifies these are compassionate aids, not limits on Shiva’s true nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as kāla-atīta (beyond time) while chanting the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—so worship becomes contemplation of the One beyond dualities such as day/night.