Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 17

मन्त्रसिद्धिः, प्रतिबन्धनिरासः, श्रद्धा-नियमाः

Mantra Efficacy, Removal of Obstacles, and the Role of Faith/Discipline

Devanagari script

तत्र माहेश्वरी कल्प्या मूर्तिर्मूर्तिमतः प्रभोः । चतुर्भुजा चतुर्वक्त्रा सर्वाभरणभूषिता

Transliteration

tatra māheśvarī kalpyā mūrtirmūrtimataḥ prabhoḥ | caturbhujā caturvaktrā sarvābharaṇabhūṣitā

Translation

There, one should contemplate the Maheśvarī form—the manifest icon of the manifest Lord Maheśvara. She is to be envisioned with four arms and four faces, adorned with every ornament.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय

• माहेश्वरी: Maheśvara-related / of Śiva
• माहेश्वरी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मूर्तिः)

• कल्प्या: should be made/imagined
• कल्प्या: Vidheyabhāva (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कॢप् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्/ण्यत्-भाव), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण: ‘to be fashioned/should be conceived’

• मूर्तिः: form/icon
• मूर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्तिमतः: of the embodied one
• मूर्तिमतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन

• प्रभोः: of the Lord
• प्रभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्भुजा: four-armed
• चतुर्भुजा: Karta-anvayi (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (चारः भुजाः यस्याः)

• चतुर्वक्त्रा: four-faced
• चतुर्वक्त्रा: Karta-anvayi (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (चारि वक्त्राणि यस्याः)

• सर्व-आभरण-भूषिता: adorned with all ornaments
• सर्व-आभरण-भूषिता: Karta-anvayi (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, भूष् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (करण/साधनभावः: सर्वैः आभरणैः भूषिता)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maheśvarī (Shakti/Devi)

FAQs

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

It teaches saguna-dhyāna: the mind is steadied by contemplating a definite, auspicious form of the Lord’s Śakti (Maheśvarī), through whom devotion matures toward liberation under Pati (Shiva).

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

The verse supports form-based worship: alongside Linga-upāsanā, one may meditate on the embodied manifestations of Shiva’s power—Maheśvarī—making the transcendent (nirguṇa) approachable through saguna symbols and icons.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A dhyāna practice is implied: visualize Maheśvarī as four-faced and four-armed, radiant and ornamented, then proceed with mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to stabilize attention and devotion.