Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 48

सर्गविभागवर्णनम्

Classification of Creation: the Nine Sargas and the Streams of Beings

Devanagari script

ततस्स भगवान् ब्रह्मा हृष्टं तमभिनंद्य च । स्रष्टुं तेनाभ्यनुज्ञातस्तथान्याश्चासृजत्प्रजाः । मरीचिभृग्वंगिरसः पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम् । दक्षमत्रिं वसिष्ठं च सो ऽसृजन्मनसैव च

Transliteration

tatassa bhagavān brahmā hṛṣṭaṃ tamabhinaṃdya ca | sraṣṭuṃ tenābhyanujñātastathānyāścāsṛjatprajāḥ | marīcibhṛgvaṃgirasaḥ pulastyaṃ pulahaṃ kratum | dakṣamatriṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ ca so 'sṛjanmanasaiva ca

Translation

Alors le bienheureux Brahmā, dans la joie, Le loua. Ayant reçu de Lui la permission d’accomplir la création, Brahmā fit naître d’autres êtres encore. Par la seule pensée, il créa Marīci, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Dakṣa, Atri et Vasiṣṭha.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of sequence/time

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhagavān: the venerable/lordly one
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; honorific epithet

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• hṛṣṭam: delighted/pleased
• hṛṣṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √hṛṣ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Neuter/masculine Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; past passive participle used adjectivally

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular

• abhinandya: having greeted/praised
• abhinandya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; pūrvakāla)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nand (धातु) with abhi-; absolutive (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त), ‘having praised/greeted’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• sraṣṭum: to create
• sraṣṭum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु) infinitive (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुनन्त), purpose ‘to create’

• tena: by him/with him
• tena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

• abhyanujñātaḥ: permitted/authorized
• abhyanujñātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhyanujñāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; abhi-anu-√jñā (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle ‘having been permitted/authorized’

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• anyāḥ: other
• anyāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• asṛjat: created
• asṛjat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्), imperfect/past; 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• prajāḥ: creatures/offspring
• prajāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• marīciḥ: Marīci
• marīciḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (as object in list)

• bhṛguḥ: Bhṛgu
• bhṛguḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• aṅgirasaḥ: Aṅgiras
• aṅgirasaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular (stem aṅgiras-)

• pulastyam: Pulastya
• pulastyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulastya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• pulaham: Pulaha
• pulaham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• kratum: Kratu
• kratum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kratu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• dakṣam: Dakṣa
• dakṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• atrim: Atri
• atrim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• vasiṣṭham: Vasiṣṭha
• vasiṣṭham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• asṛjat: created
• asṛjat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• manasā: by (his) mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) of emphasis

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vayu Samhita account to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahadeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it narrates Brahmā’s mind-born creation after Śiva’s authorization.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Manasa-sṛṣṭi (mind-born creation) of ṛṣi-progenitors; in Siddhānta terms, paśus (individual souls) enter embodied orders through māyā’s evolutes under divine sanction.

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Marici
• Bhrigu
• Angiras
• Pulastya
• Pulaha
• Kratu
• Daksha
• Atri
• Vasistha

FAQs

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

It establishes that cosmic creation proceeds only with higher divine sanction; Brahmā functions as the creator-principle, but the ultimate sovereignty belongs to Pati (the Supreme Lord), under whose will the manifested order begins.

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

By showing Brahmā acting only after receiving permission, the text supports Saguna Shiva as the governing Lord of the cosmos; Linga-worship honors that supreme rulership which empowers all functions—creation, sustenance, and dissolution.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is surrender to Shiva’s will through daily Shiva-puja—especially japa of the Panchākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya")—recognizing all action as empowered by the Lord.