Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 78

प्रणवविभागः—वेदस्वरूपत्वं लिङ्गे च प्रतिष्ठा

The Division of Oṃ, Its Vedic Forms, and Its Placement in the Liṅga

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त्वा महादेवो नारायणपितामहौ । मंत्रराजं ददौ ताभ्यां ज्ञानसंहितया सह

Transliteration

evamuktvā mahādevo nārāyaṇapitāmahau | maṃtrarājaṃ dadau tābhyāṃ jñānasaṃhitayā saha

Translation

Having spoken thus, Mahādeva bestowed upon Nārāyaṇa and Pitāmaha (Brahmā) the Mantra-rāja, the sovereign King of Mantras, together with the saṃhitā of liberating knowledge—so that they might know the Lord (Pati) and guide beings bound by pāśa toward mokṣa.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रिया; पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having said)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् देवः)

• नारायण: Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; ‘नारायणपितामहौ’ इत्यस्य पूर्वपद (समुच्चित-द्वन्द्व)

• पितामहौ: Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• पितामहौ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; ‘grandfather’ (Brahmā)

• मन्त्रराजम्: the king of mantras
• मन्त्रराजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र-राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मन्त्राणां राजा)

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ताभ्याम्: to those two
• ताभ्याम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानसंहितया: with the Jñāna-saṃhitā
• ज्ञानसंहितया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानसम्बन्धिनी संहिता)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (with; postposition-like)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vishnu
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It shows Śiva as the supreme Guru (Pati) who grants both mantra (upāya/means) and jñāna (right understanding) even to Brahmā and Viṣṇu, affirming that liberation arises through His grace expressed as knowledge and sacred sound.

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

The “king of mantras” is typically applied in Saguna worship—japa, pūjā, and dhyāna directed to Śiva (often as the Liṅga)—while the accompanying jñāna-saṃhitā grounds that worship in the higher truth of Śiva as the ultimate Reality beyond bondage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to mantra-upāsanā: receive the mantra from a proper source, perform regular japa with focused meditation on Śiva, and support it with scriptural contemplation (jñāna) to remove pāśa and mature devotion toward mokṣa.