Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

षडध्ववेदनम् (Ṣaḍadhva-vedanam) — The Sixfold Path: Sound, Meaning, and Tattva-Distribution

Devanagari script

शक्त्यादि च पृथिव्यन्तं शिवतत्त्वसमुद्भवम् । व्याप्तमेकेन तेनैव मृदा कुंभादिकं यथा

Transliteration

śaktyādi ca pṛthivyantaṃ śivatattvasamudbhavam | vyāptamekena tenaiva mṛdā kuṃbhādikaṃ yathā

Translation

De Śakti jusqu’à l’élément Terre, tout ce qui est issu du principe de Śiva (Śiva-tattva) est pénétré par cet Unique, comme l’argile imprègne la jarre et les autres formes de terre.

Word by Word

• śakti-ādi: (the series) beginning with Śakti
• śakti-ādi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); avyayībhāva-like sense ‘beginning with’, but treated here as tatpuruṣa compound used adverbially/collectively

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक)

• pṛthivī-antam: ending with earth
• pṛthivī-antam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies implicit ‘tattvam/adhvā’ etc.; tatpuruṣa: pṛthivyā antaḥ

• śiva-tattva-samudbhavam: arisen from the principle of Śiva
• śiva-tattva-samudbhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: śivatattvāt samudbhavaḥ

• vyāptam: pervaded
• vyāptam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-āp (आप्/धातु) → vyāpta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; used predicatively ‘is pervaded’

• ekena: by one (alone)
• ekena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with tena (implicit)

• tena: by that
• tena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• mṛdā: by clay
• mṛdā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kuṃbha-ādikam: a pot etc.
• kuṃbha-ādikam: Dṛṣṭānta (दृष्टान्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṃbha (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (प्रातिपदिक/प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); ‘pot and the like’

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Upamāna-marker (उपमान-निर्देशक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative indeclinable (उपमानवाचक अव्यय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: immanence of Śiva through the entire tattva-chain down to mahābhūtas

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that all tattvas—from Śakti down to Earth—are manifestations arising within Śiva’s order and are inwardly pervaded by the one Supreme Pati (Śiva), so the seeker should recognize the One reality present in all forms.

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

The Liṅga is worshipped as the sign of the all-pervading Śiva: while forms (saguṇa) appear diverse like pots, their inner essence is one reality, Śiva—hence Liṅga worship trains the mind to see unity behind multiplicity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as the indwelling pervader while repeating the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and apply Tripuṇḍra-bhasma with the contemplation that the same Śiva pervades body, mind, and the elements.