Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 31
सर्गविभागवर्णनम्
Classification of Creation: the Nine Sargas and the Streams of Beings
ततो मृतस्य देवस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । घृणी ददौ पुनः प्राणान्ब्रह्मपुत्रो महेश्वरः । प्रहृष्टवदनो रुद्रः प्राणप्रत्यागमाद्विभोः । अभ्यभाषत विश्वेशो ब्रह्माणं परमं वचः
tato mṛtasya devasya brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | ghṛṇī dadau punaḥ prāṇānbrahmaputro maheśvaraḥ | prahṛṣṭavadano rudraḥ prāṇapratyāgamādvibhoḥ | abhyabhāṣata viśveśo brahmāṇaṃ paramaṃ vacaḥ
Alors, envers le dieu Brahmā — le Parameṣṭhin gisant sans vie — Mahādeva, le grand Seigneur appelé aussi « Fils de Brahmā » (Rudra), rendit avec compassion les prāṇas une fois encore. Le visage de Rudra rayonnait de joie au retour du souffle en ce puissant ; puis Viśveśvara, Seigneur de l’univers, adressa à Brahmā une parole sublime.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) whose grace restores life itself, showing that even exalted beings like Brahmā depend upon Śiva’s compassionate sovereignty—an essential Shaiva Siddhanta theme of divine anugraha (saving grace).
By calling Śiva “Viśveśa” and depicting him actively bestowing prāṇa, the verse supports Saguna worship—approaching Śiva as the personal Lord who intervenes, protects, and grants grace; the Liṅga is revered as that very living presence of Śiva in worship.
A practical takeaway is prāṇa-smarana with japa—remembering Śiva as the giver of prāṇa while repeating the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with simple Śiva-pūjā (water/abhisheka) as an expression of surrender to his sustaining grace.