Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7

अर्धनारीश्वरप्रादुर्भावः

Manifestation of Ardhanārīśvara and the Impulse for Procreative Creation

Devanagari script

तया परमया शक्त्या भगवंतं त्रियम्बकम् । संचिन्त्य हृदये ब्रह्मा तताप परमं तपः

Transliteration

tayā paramayā śaktyā bhagavaṃtaṃ triyambakam | saṃcintya hṛdaye brahmā tatāpa paramaṃ tapaḥ

Translation

Soutenu par cette Puissance suprême (Śakti), Brahmā contempla dans son cœur le Bienheureux Seigneur aux Trois Yeux (Śiva, Tryambaka), puis entreprit l’austérité la plus haute, en quête de Sa grâce et de Sa révélation.

Word by Word

• tayā: by her/with that (power)
• tayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana; sarvanāma (pronoun)

• paramayā: supreme
• paramayā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (qualifies śaktyā)

• śaktyā: by (the) power
• śaktyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• bhagavantam: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• triyambakam: the three-eyed (Śiva)
• triyambakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triyambaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi: trīṇi ambakāni (netrāṇi) yasya saḥ (he who has three eyes)

• saṃcintya: having contemplated
• saṃcintya: Kriyā (क्रिया) / Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + cint (चिन्त् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)

• hṛdaye: in (his) heart
• hṛdaye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tatāpa: performed austerity; did penance
• tatāpa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (तप् धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्; imperfect/past), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (qualifies tapaḥ)

• tapaḥ: austerity; penance
• tapaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana’s account of Brahma’s tapas in the Vayu Samhita context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tryambaka

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: tryambaka (as the key epithet; the full Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra is not quoted here)

Type: mahamrityunjaya

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It presents the Shaiva Siddhanta emphasis that realization of Pati (Śiva) arises through Śakti-supported inner contemplation (hṛdaya-dhyāna) and disciplined tapas—showing that even Brahmā turns to Śiva as the supreme refuge for grace and true knowledge.

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

The verse highlights Saguna focus—meditating on Tryambaka, the personal Lord with attributes (three eyes). Such inward contemplation naturally aligns with external Linga worship, where the devotee fixes mind and heart on Śiva’s presence while offering reverence to the Linga as His accessible form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Heart-centered dhyāna on Tryambaka combined with tapas: steady japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), observances like Mahāśivarātri vrata, and simple Shaiva disciplines (Tripuṇḍra bhasma, Rudrākṣa) to support sustained contemplation.