Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

पशु-पाश-पतिविचारः / Inquiry into Paśu, Pāśa, and Pati

Devanagari script

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महांतममृतं ध्रुवम् । आदित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात्संस्थितं प्रभुम्

Transliteration

vedāhametaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāṃtamamṛtaṃ dhruvam | ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastātsaṃsthitaṃ prabhum

Translation

«Je connais ce Purusha suprême : grand, immortel et immuable ; le Seigneur établi au-delà des ténèbres, rayonnant comme le soleil.»

Word by Word

• वेद: I know
• वेद: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतम्: this
• एतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally qualifying (पुरुषम्)

• पुरुषम्: Person (Supreme Being)
• पुरुषम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महान्तम्: great
• महान्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying (पुरुषम्)

• अमृतम्: immortal
• अमृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying (पुरुषम्)

• ध्रुवम्: steadfast/eternal
• ध्रुवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying (पुरुषम्)

• आदित्यवर्णम्: sun-hued
• आदित्यवर्णम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (āditya-varṇa = having the color/lustre of the sun) qualifying (पुरुषम्)

• तमसः: of/from darkness
• तमसः: Apadana (अपादान/source; beyond/from)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here with परस्तात्: Ablative sense ‘from/beyond darkness’

• परस्तात्: beyond
• परस्तात्: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण/adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb: ‘beyond, on the farther side’)

• संस्थितम्: situated/established
• संस्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifying (पुरुषम्)

• प्रभुम्: the Lord
• प्रभुम्: Karma (कर्म/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; appositional to (पुरुषम्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching in the Shiva Purana)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthala) passage; it is a pan-Śaiva declaration of the transcendent Lord ‘beyond darkness’ (tamas), applicable to all liṅga-kṣetras as the metaphysical ground of worship.

Significance: Establishes the doctrinal basis for darśana of Śiva as the deathless, immutable Pati; pilgrimage becomes a means to shift from tamas (bondage/avidyā) toward His light (jñāna/anugraha).

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: vedāhametaṃ puruṣaṃ mahāṃtam amṛtaṃ dhruvam | ādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt saṃsthitaṃ prabhum

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It affirms Shiva as Pati—the great, deathless, unchanging Lord—who is realized beyond tamas (ignorance). Liberation is framed as true knowledge of this eternal Prabhu rather than mere ritual merit.

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

Though Shiva is described as beyond darkness (transcendent), he is also “āditya-varṇa,” approachable through luminous signs—such as the Linga—where Saguna worship becomes a doorway to realizing the Nirguna, immutable Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the radiant Lord beyond tamas—pairing inner contemplation with japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to purify ignorance and stabilize awareness in the “dhruva” (unchanging) reality.