Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 17
सर्गविभागवर्णनम्
Classification of Creation: the Nine Sargas and the Streams of Beings
ततो ऽर्वाक्स्रोतसां सर्गः सप्तमः स तु मानुषः । अष्टमो ऽनुग्रहः सर्गः कौमारो नवमः स्मृतः । प्राकृताश्च त्रयः पूर्वे सर्गास्ते ऽबुद्धिपूर्वकाः । बुद्धिपूर्वं प्रवर्तन्ते मुख्याद्याः पञ्च वैकृताः
tato 'rvāksrotasāṃ sargaḥ saptamaḥ sa tu mānuṣaḥ | aṣṭamo 'nugrahaḥ sargaḥ kaumāro navamaḥ smṛtaḥ | prākṛtāśca trayaḥ pūrve sargāste 'buddhipūrvakāḥ | buddhipūrvaṃ pravartante mukhyādyāḥ pañca vaikṛtāḥ
Vient ensuite la septième création, dite celle des êtres « au courant descendant » (arvāk-srotas), c’est-à-dire la création humaine. La huitième est connue comme la création née de la grâce divine (anugraha). La neuvième est gardée en mémoire comme la création Kaumāra. Les trois créations antérieures sont Prākṛta, issues de la Nature primordiale, et se déroulent sans l’opération préalable de l’intelligence discriminante ; mais les cinq créations Vaikṛta, à commencer par la « principale » (mukhya), procèdent avec l’intellect pour antécédent.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: transition from prākṛta (abuddhi-pūrvaka) to vaikṛta (buddhi-pūrvaka) sargas; explicit mention of anugraha-sarga
FAQs
It distinguishes nature-driven creation (Prākṛta) from intellect-guided evolved creation (Vaikṛta) and highlights anugraha—Shiva’s grace—as a decisive principle for spiritual uplift, aligning with Shaiva Siddhanta where liberation is ultimately completed by the Lord’s grace.
By emphasizing anugraha (grace), the verse supports Saguna Shiva worship—such as Linga devotion—as a means to receive Shiva’s favor, which turns the intellect from bondage (pāśa) toward the Lord (Pati) and ripens the soul (paśu) for liberation.
A practical takeaway is to seek anugraha through Shaiva sādhanā—daily Linga pūjā with vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra), japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and Rudrākṣa dhāraṇa—so that buddhi becomes Shiva-oriented rather than merely Prakriti-driven.