Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

प्रधानपरमाण्वादि यावत्किंचिदचेतनम् । तत्कर्तृकं स्वयं दृष्टं बुद्धिमत्कारणं विना

Transliteration

pradhānaparamāṇvādi yāvatkiṃcidacetanam | tatkartṛkaṃ svayaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ buddhimatkāraṇaṃ vinā

Translation

De Pradhāna (la matière primordiale) jusqu’à l’atome, et tout ce qui est insensible, on ne voit jamais que cela produise des effets par soi-même sans cause intelligente. Ainsi, le fondement inerte du monde n’est pas l’ultime artisan : il requiert le Seigneur, le Pati conscient.

Word by Word

• pradhāna-paramāṇu-ādi: (things) beginning with Pradhāna and atoms
• pradhāna-paramāṇu-ādi: Adhikaraṇa/Viṣaya (अधिकरण/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + paramāṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective dvandva) used as a class-term

• yāvat: as far as; whatever (extent)
• yāvat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: Avyaya; relative adverb meaning ‘as far as/whatever extent’ (यावत्-प्रयोग)

• kiṃcit: anything; something
• kiṃcit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय ‘-cit’ (indefinite)

• acetanam: insentient
• acetanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; विशेषण of kiṃcit

• tat-kartṛkam: having that as its doer/agent
• tat-kartṛkam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kartṛka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘whose agent is that’ (तत्-कर्तृक)

• svayam: by itself
• svayam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic adverb ‘by itself/itself’

• dṛṣṭam: is seen; is observed
• dṛṣṭam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Kta (क्त) past passive participle; Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; used predicatively ‘is seen/observed’

• buddhi-mat-kāraṇam: an intelligent cause
• buddhi-mat-kāraṇam: Apādāna/Abhāva-viṣaya (अपादान/अभाव-विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + mat (मतुप्) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; कर्मधारय ‘intelligent cause’ (बुद्धिमत् = बुद्धियुक्त) qualifying kāraṇa

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; उपसर्गार्थक-निपात ‘without’; governs Accusative (द्वितीया)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes a key Shaiva Siddhanta principle: insentient matter (Pradhana, atoms, and all inert categories) cannot be the ultimate doer. The cosmos points to a conscious, intelligent Lord—Shiva as Pati—who directs and empowers creation and liberation.

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

The Linga signifies Shiva as the transcendent conscious reality who stands beyond inert nature, while also being present as its inner governor. Worship of the Linga (Saguna support) trains the mind to recognize that the world is not self-caused by matter, but sustained by Shiva’s intelligence and grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the inner conscious cause while japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") is performed; offer bhasma (Tripundra) and/or wear rudraksha with the contemplation that inert nature becomes meaningful only when illumined by Shiva-consciousness.