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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9

अग्नीषोमात्मकविश्ववर्णनम् / The Universe as Agni–Soma

Fire and Nectar

अग्निरूर्ध्वं ज्वलत्येष यावत्सौम्यं परामृतम् । यावदग्न्यास्पदं सौम्यममृतं च स्रवत्यधः

agnirūrdhvaṃ jvalatyeṣa yāvatsaumyaṃ parāmṛtam | yāvadagnyāspadaṃ saumyamamṛtaṃ ca sravatyadhaḥ

Ce feu flamboie vers le haut tant que demeure le nectar doux et suprême (amṛta). Et tant que ce nectar doux—reposant sur le siège du feu—continue de s’égoutter vers le bas.

अग्निःfire
अग्निः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ऊर्ध्वम्upwards
ऊर्ध्वम्:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Direction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषण (adverb) रूपेण, अव्यय; दिशाबोधक (upwards)
ज्वलतिburns, blazes
ज्वलति:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√ज्वल् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
एषःthis (one)
एषः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to अग्निः)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)
यावत्as long as, until
यावत्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयावत् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)
सौम्यम्the somic (lunar) essence
सौम्यम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeAdjective
Rootसौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)
परामृतम्supreme nectar
परामृतम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object; in apposition to सौम्यम्)
TypeNoun
Rootपर-अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: परम् अमृतम् (कर्मधारय)
यावत्until
यावत्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयावत् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधिपर्यन्तार्थक (until/as long as)
अग्न्याश्पदम्the seat/abode of fire
अग्न्याश्पदम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootअग्नि-आस्पद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: अग्नेः आस्पदम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
सौम्यम्somic, lunar
सौम्यम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र अमृतस्य विशेषणम् (qualifier of amṛta)
अमृतम्nectar
अमृतम्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootअमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)
स्रवतिflows, drips
स्रवति:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√स्रु (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
अधःdownwards
अधः:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Direction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअधः (अव्यय)
Formक्रियाविशेषण (adverb), अव्यय; दिशाबोधक (downwards)

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Vāmadeva

Type: rudram

Role: nurturing

A
Agni
A
Amrita (Soma)

FAQs

It describes an inner yogic process: the upward-rising fire of practice and the cooling, immortal nectar (amṛta) that sustains and transforms the seeker—symbolizing Shiva’s grace culminating in liberation.

In Shaiva understanding, outer Linga worship supports inner realization: disciplined devotion and mantra kindle the ‘agni’ of awareness, while Shiva’s auspicious, cooling power (saumya-amṛta) descends as peace, steadiness, and spiritual vitality.

A meditative takeaway is to combine japa (especially the Panchakshara) with steady pranayama and inward concentration, cultivating the upward current of awareness while resting in Shiva’s cooling presence—often supported by Tripundra and Rudraksha as aids to discipline.