Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 12
शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice
स्वतंत्रो दशधा पूर्वं तथाष्टादशधा पुनः । कामिकादिसमाख्याभिस्सिद्धः सिद्धान्तसंज्ञितः
svataṃtro daśadhā pūrvaṃ tathāṣṭādaśadhā punaḥ | kāmikādisamākhyābhissiddhaḥ siddhāntasaṃjñitaḥ
Cet enseignement śaiva est d’autorité propre : jadis il fut exposé en dix divisions, puis de nouveau en dix-huit. Établi sous des titres commençant par le Kāmika et autres, il est dès lors nommé « Siddhānta ».
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya discourse to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Role: teaching
FAQs
It affirms that Shaiva Siddhānta is a self-valid tradition grounded in Śiva’s Āgamas, presented in structured divisions (ten and eighteen), guiding the soul (paśu) toward liberation through Śiva’s grace and right practice.
By pointing to the Kāmikādi Āgamas as the established basis of Siddhānta, it implicitly roots Saguna Śiva worship—especially Agamic Linga worship, mantra, and temple/ritual procedures—in an authoritative Shaiva scriptural corpus.
The verse points toward following Agamic (Siddhānta) discipline—mantra-japa (notably Śiva-mantras such as the Pañcākṣarī), dīkṣā-based practice, and regulated worship (pūjā/arcana) as taught in the Kāmikādi traditions.