Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 32

सत्याः पुनस्तपश्चर्या — Satī’s Return to Austerity (Tapas) and Fearless Liṅga-Worship

Devanagari script

तदीदृशस्य भवतो लोकयात्राविधायिनः । वृत्तवन्तःपुरे भर्ता कथयिष्ये कथं पुनः

Transliteration

tadīdṛśasya bhavato lokayātrāvidhāyinaḥ | vṛttavantaḥpure bhartā kathayiṣye kathaṃ punaḥ

Translation

Ô Seigneur de la « cité intérieure » (le corps), Toi dont la nature est telle, qui règles la marche et la continuité du monde, comment pourrais-je encore Te décrire ?

Word by Word

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun) — ‘of that’ (genitive qualifier)

• ईदृशस्य: of such a kind
• ईदृशस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• भवतः: of you (hon.)
• भवतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)

• लोकयात्रा-विधायिनः: of the ordainer of the world’s course
• लोकयात्रा-विधायिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकयात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + विधायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): ‘one who arranges/ordains the world’s course’

• वृत्तवन्तःपुरे: in the inner palace (harem/inner chambers)
• वृत्तवन्तःपुरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तःपुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (determinative): ‘in the established inner-apartment/palace’

• भर्ता: the lord/husband
• भर्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कथयिष्ये: I shall narrate
• कथयिष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person/उत्तम), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• पुनः: again/further
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति-अर्थे (adverb: again/further)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse confesses the limits of speech before Shiva’s greatness: as Pati (the Lord), He sustains both the cosmos (lokayātrā) and the inner life of beings, pointing the devotee toward humility and surrender as the doorway to grace and liberation.

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

By praising Shiva as the supporter and inner ruler, it supports Saguna devotion—approaching the formless Lord through a tangible focus like the Shiva Linga—while remembering that the same Shiva pervades the body as the indwelling Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa with reverence—especially the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—combined with inward contemplation of Shiva as the Antaryāmin who governs the world’s order and one’s own breath and mind.