Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41

पशुपाशपतिज्ञान-प्राप्तिः

Acquisition of Paśupati–Pāśa Knowledge

Devanagari script

तस्मादव्यक्तमेवैक्यकारणं करणानि च । शरीरं च तदाधारं तद्भोग्यं चापि नेतरत्

Transliteration

tasmādavyaktamevaikyakāraṇaṃ karaṇāni ca | śarīraṃ ca tadādhāraṃ tadbhogyaṃ cāpi netarat

Translation

Ainsi, l’Inmanifesté (avyakta) seul est la cause de l’unité; et les facultés des sens, le corps qui leur sert de support, et même les objets de l’expérience, tout dépend de Cela — il n’est rien en dehors de Cela.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/कारण-सूचक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसक/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे 'therefore/from that'

• अव्यक्तम्: the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ऐक्य-कारणम्: the cause of unity
• ऐक्य-कारणम्: Predicate (विधेय/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aikya + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('of unity' + 'cause')

• करणानि: the instruments; organs
• करणानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शरीरम्: the body
• शरीरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्-आधारम्: its support; its basis
• तत्-आधारम्: Predicate (विधेय/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + ādhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('its support/base')

• तत्-भोग्यम्: its object of enjoyment
• तत्-भोग्यम्: Predicate (विधेय/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + bhogya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('to be enjoyed by/for it')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• इतरत्: anything else; otherwise
• इतरत्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'other/otherwise'

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya philosophical teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that all experience—senses, body, and objects—rests upon a single subtle ground (the Unmanifest), pointing the seeker to the One Reality (Shiva) behind changing phenomena as the basis for liberation.

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

Linga worship trains the mind to move from the visible form (saguṇa upāsanā) to the formless ground it signifies—the Unmanifest Shiva who supports all faculties and all objects of experience.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate by withdrawing attention from objects and senses to their inner source, while supporting the practice with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to steady awareness in the One underlying reality.