Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 24

शक्त्यादिसृष्टिनिरूपणम् / The Account of Creation Beginning with Śakti

Devanagari script

विश्वोत्तरोत्तरविचित्रमनोरथस्य यस्यैकशक्तिशकले सकलस्समाप्तः । आत्मानमध्वपतिमध्वविदो वदंति तस्मै नमः सकललोकविलक्षणाय

Transliteration

viśvottarottaravicitramanorathasya yasyaikaśaktiśakale sakalassamāptaḥ | ātmānamadhvapatimadhvavido vadaṃti tasmai namaḥ sakalalokavilakṣaṇāya

Translation

Salutations to that Lord who is beyond the universe—whose wondrous, ever-transcending intent encompasses all. In a single fragment of His power, the whole of existence is brought to completion. The knowers of the path declare Him to be the very Self, the Lord of the Path (Pati), distinct from and surpassing all worlds.

Word by Word

• viśva-uttara-uttara-vicitra-manorathasya: of (him) whose manifold, ever-surpassing, wondrous intentions
• viśva-uttara-uttara-vicitra-manorathasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + vicitra (प्रातिपदिक) + manoratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; relative pronoun

• eka-śakti-śakale: in a single fragment of (his) power
• eka-śakti-śakale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + śakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (एकस्याः शक्तेः शकले)

• sakalaḥ: the whole (universe/all)
• sakalaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• samāptaḥ: is completed/contained
• samāptaḥ: Karta-pradhāna viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-āp (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/ta), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with sakalaḥ

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• adhva-patim: the lord of the path (of liberation/way)
• adhva-patim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvan (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अध्वनः पतिः)

• adhva-vidaḥ: knowers of the path
• adhva-vidaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvan (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (प्रातिपदिक; from √vid ‘to know’)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अध्वानं वेत्ति इति)

• vadanti: say
• vadanti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana/Upapada (उपपद-सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः)
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable interjection/noun used indeclinably); used with dative

• sakala-loka-vilakṣaṇāya: to the one distinct from all worlds
• sakala-loka-vilakṣaṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + vilakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सकललोकात् विलक्षणः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s supreme nature to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: tasmai namaḥ sakalalokavilakṣaṇāya

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It proclaims Shiva as the transcendent Pati—beyond all worlds—whose mere fraction of power completes the cosmos, and whom the realized describe as the inner Self guiding liberation.

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

While describing Shiva’s supreme, world-transcending nature (para), it supports Saguna/Linga worship as a valid upaya (means): through devotion to the manifest Lord, the seeker approaches the formless, all-surpassing Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as adhvapati (Lord of the path) while repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering bhakti to the Linga as the support for realizing the Self beyond all worlds.