Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

भक्त्या मयार्चितो मह्यं प्रार्थितं शं प्रयच्छतु । सदाशिवांकमारूढा शक्तिरिच्छा शिवाह्वया

Transliteration

bhaktyā mayārcito mahyaṃ prārthitaṃ śaṃ prayacchatu | sadāśivāṃkamārūḍhā śaktiricchā śivāhvayā

Translation

May the auspicious Lord—whom I have worshipped with devotion and to whom I have prayed—grant me well-being. Seated upon the lap of Sadāśiva is Icchā-śakti, the Power of Will, renowned by the name Śivā.

Word by Word

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अर्चितः: worshipped
• अर्चितः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Passive Participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन

• प्रार्थितम्: requested
• प्रार्थितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रार्थ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘यत्’ (thing) implied

• शम्: welfare, auspicious good
• शम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रयच्छतु: may (she) grant
• प्रयच्छतु: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सदा-शिव-अङ्क-मारूढा: seated on Sadāśiva’s lap
• सदा-शिव-अङ्क-मारूढा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्क (प्रातिपदिक) + आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘सदाशिवस्य अङ्कः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, ततः ‘अङ्कमारूढा’ इति उपपद-समास/कृदन्त-समास); कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय (मारूढ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्तिः: the Power (Śakti)
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• इच्छा: (namely) Will
• इच्छा: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शक्तेः अप्पोजिशन (समानाधिकरण)

• शिव-आह्वया: called ‘Śivā’
• शिव-आह्वया: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आह्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘शिव इति आह्वयः यस्याः’—नामनिर्देश); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana discourse to the sages, within the Vayu Samhita’s philosophical context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: भक्त्या मयार्चितो मह्यं प्रार्थितं शं प्रयच्छतु । सदाशिवांकमारूढा शक्तिरिच्छा शिवाह्वया

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sadashiva
• Shakti (Shiva)

FAQs

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

It affirms that Shiva’s grace is invoked through bhakti and prayer, and teaches the Shaiva Siddhanta insight that Shiva (Pati) and Śakti are inseparable—Icchā-śakti (the power of divine will) abides in intimate union with Sadāśiva, from whom auspiciousness (śam) flows.

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

Linga worship is a saguna focus that channels devotion toward the transcendent Sadāśiva; this verse highlights that the devotee’s prayer seeks śam through Shiva’s gracious response, while recognizing Shiva’s dynamic aspect as Śakti—especially Icchā-śakti—active in the manifest world.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple practice is heartfelt arcana (worship) with bhakti, followed by prayer for śam (peace) and japa of the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” meditating on Sadāśiva united with Śivā (Icchā-śakti) as the source of auspicious transformation.