Shloka 56

शिवपुराण-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Śiva Purāṇa) / Śivapurāṇa Māhātmya

Devanagari script

व्यासेन तत्तु संक्षिप्तं चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् । शैवं तत्र चतुर्थं वै पुराणं सप्तसंहितम्

Transliteration

vyāsena tattu saṃkṣiptaṃ caturviṃśatsahasrakam | śaivaṃ tatra caturthaṃ vai purāṇaṃ saptasaṃhitam

Translation

Then Vyāsa abridged that (Purāṇic corpus) into twenty-four thousand verses. Among them, the Śaiva Purāṇa is indeed the fourth, and it consists of seven Saṃhitās.

Word by Word

• व्यासेन: by Vyāsa
• व्यासेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• तत्: that (text)
• तत्: Anuvada (अनुवाद/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र ‘पुराणम्’ इत्यस्य निर्देशः

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• संक्षिप्तम्: abridged/condensed
• संक्षिप्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + क्षिप् (धातु) → संक्षिप्त (कृदन्त-क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘तत्/पुराणम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चतुर्विंशत्-सहस्रकम्: consisting of twenty-four thousand (verses)
• चतुर्विंशत्-सहस्रकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (चतुर्विंशतिः सहस्राणि यस्य)

• शैवम्: Śaiva
• शैवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पुराणम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तत्र: there/in it
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (there/in that)

• चतुर्थम्: fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• पुराणम्: Purāṇa
• पुराणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सप्त-संहितम्: having seven saṃhitās
• सप्त-संहितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (सप्त संहिताः यस्य)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Vyasa

FAQs

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

It establishes the Śiva Purāṇa as an authoritative, deliberately structured scripture: a concise, accessible compilation (by Vyāsa) meant to transmit Śiva-tattva and the Shaiva path through seven integrated Saṃhitās.

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

By identifying the Śaiva Purāṇa’s formal place and internal division, it points readers to a systematic presentation of Saguna Śiva worship—especially the Linga-centered disciplines and teachings prominently developed in the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse itself is classificatory, but its implication is to follow the Śaiva Purāṇa’s prescribed sādhanā—centrally, japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) alongside Śaiva observances taught in the Saṃhitās.