Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

प्रभेव भानोश्चिद्रूपा भिन्नैवेति व्यवस्थितः । तस्माच्छिवः परो हेतुस्तस्याज्ञा परमेश्वरी

Transliteration

prabheva bhānościdrūpā bhinnaiveti vyavasthitaḥ | tasmācchivaḥ paro hetustasyājñā parameśvarī

Translation

De même que la splendeur du soleil est de nature consciente et pourtant tenue pour distincte, ainsi cela est établi. Dès lors, Śiva seul est la cause suprême; et Son commandement est Parameśvarī, la Puissance souveraine suprême.

Word by Word

• प्रभा: radiance
• प्रभा: Upamāna (उपमान/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• भानोः: of the sun
• भानोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• चित्-रूपा: of the nature of consciousness
• चित्-रूपा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of implied ‘शक्तिः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: चितः रूपम् यस्याः (whose form is consciousness)

• भिन्ना: separate/different
• भिन्ना: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भिद्-धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारणार्थक

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय

• व्यवस्थितः: is established
• व्यवस्थितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) → व्यवस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कर्तरि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (understood with ‘भेदः’)

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (अपादान/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परः: supreme
• परः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of शिवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हेतुः: cause
• हेतुः: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आज्ञा: command/authority
• आज्ञा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परमेश्वरी: the Supreme Goddess
• परमेश्वरी: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (विशेष्य/Predicate noun of आज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: परमा ईश्वरी (the supreme goddess)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parameshvari (Shakti)

FAQs

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

It establishes Śiva as the transcendent supreme cause (Pati) and explains manifestation through an analogy: like the sun and its radiance, the Lord and His power appear distinct yet are inseparable—guiding the seeker to surrender to Śiva’s supreme ordinance for liberation.

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

The Linga represents the supreme cause beyond form, while Saguna worship approaches that same Śiva through His manifest power (Parameśvarī/Śakti). The verse supports Linga worship as devotion to the source, and Saguna worship as reverence to His inseparable governing Śakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Śiva as the supreme cause and align one’s will with His ājñā (divine command) through japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” cultivating surrender (śaraṇāgati) and inner discipline.