Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 42

शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice

Devanagari script

अणवो नैव जानन्ति माययैव मलावृताः । असत्स्वपि च सर्वेषु सर्वार्थज्ञानहेतुषु

Transliteration

aṇavo naiva jānanti māyayaiva malāvṛtāḥ | asatsvapi ca sarveṣu sarvārthajñānahetuṣu

Translation

Les aṇu, âmes liées, ne connaissent pas véritablement, car ils sont voilés par l’impureté (mala) au moyen de Māyā. Même lorsque sont présentes toutes les prétendues « causes de connaître tout objet », ils ne connaissent pas la Réalité telle qu’elle est.

Word by Word

• अणवः: individual souls (aṇus)
• अणवः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Masculine; Nominative; Plural)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• एव: indeed, at all
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present Indicative); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन (Present; Parasmaipada; 3rd person; Plural)

• मायया: by māyā
• मायया: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Feminine; Instrumental; Singular)

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• मलावृताः: covered by impurity (mala)
• मलावृताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of अणवः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल + आ + वृ (धातु) → आवृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन (Masculine; Nom; Plural); समास: मलेन आवृताः / मल-आवृताः (तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः)

• असत्सु: even among non-existent/absent (things)
• असत्सु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Neuter; Locative; Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-भाव (particle: even/also)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• सर्वेषु: in all
• सर्वेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Locative; Plural)

• सर्वार्थज्ञानहेतुषु: in the causes of knowledge of all objects
• सर्वार्थज्ञानहेतुषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + अर्थ + ज्ञान + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (Masculine; Locative; Plural); समास-समूह: सर्व-अर्थ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + ज्ञान (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + हेतु (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: māyā-āvaraṇa (veiling) as cosmic concealment of knowledge

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that ignorance is not merely lack of information; the soul’s true awareness is obscured by mala through Māyā, and liberation requires Shiva’s grace and right means of realization, not just ordinary cognition.

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

Linga worship (Saguna support) disciplines the mind and purifies the coverings that block recognition of Shiva (Pati). Through devotion, mantra, and ritual purity, the soul becomes fit to know the transcendent reality that ordinary means cannot reveal.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with Shiva-puja (including Tripundra/bhasma where prescribed) is implied as a purifying discipline that thins Māyā’s veil and prepares the soul for Shiva-realization.