Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1

कौशिकी-गौरी तथा शार्दूलरूप-निशाचरस्य पूर्वकर्मवर्णनम् | Kauśikī-Gaurī and Brahmā’s account of the tiger-formed niśācara

Devanagari script

वायुरुवाच । उत्पाद्य कौशिकीं गौरी ब्रह्मणे प्रतिपाद्य ताम् । तस्य प्रत्युपकाराय पितामहमथाब्रवीत्

Transliteration

vāyuruvāca | utpādya kauśikīṃ gaurī brahmaṇe pratipādya tām | tasya pratyupakārāya pitāmahamathābravīt

Translation

Vāyu dit : Ayant fait naître Kauśikī—Gaurī—et l’ayant présentée à Brahmā, le Grand-Père (Brahmā), désireux de récompenser son service, prit alors la parole.

Word by Word

• vāyuḥ: Vāyu
• vāyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्/Liṭ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• utpādya: having produced
• utpādya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ut-pad (धातु) → utpādya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), avyaya; denotes prior action

• kauśikīm: Kauśikī
• kauśikīm: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauśikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• gaurī: Gaurī
• gaurī: Karta (कर्ता/agent—implicit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaurī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; apposition to subject implied in gerund construction

• brahmaṇe: to Brahmā
• brahmaṇe: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• pratipādya: having delivered/presented
• pratipādya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati-pad (धातु) → pratipādya (कृदन्त)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), avyaya; ‘having presented/handed over’

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक: pronoun)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• tasya: for him/of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक: pronoun)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• praty-upakārāya: for (rendering) a return favor
• praty-upakārāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/purpose-recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati (उपसर्ग) + upakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; purpose (प्रयोजन)

• pitāmahaḥ: the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• pitāmahaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, discourse particle (अनन्तर/then)

• abravīt: said/spoke
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्/Laṅ), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

Speaker

Vayu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Gauri
• Kaushiki
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It highlights divine reciprocity: when the Goddess (Śakti) renders aid for cosmic order, Brahmā responds with gratitude—showing that dharma includes honoring and repaying sacred help, while all actions ultimately serve Śiva’s governance through Śakti.

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

Though the verse centers on Gaurī/Kauśikī, it supports Saguna devotion by showing how Śiva’s power (Śakti) operates in manifest forms; honoring the Goddess complements Linga-worship, since Śiva and Śakti are inseparable in Purāṇic Shaiva theology.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is gratitude and offering (upacāra): devotees may perform simple pūjā with mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and respectful offerings to Śiva along with Gaurī, cultivating humility and dharmic reciprocity.