Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

जगच्च कर्तृसापेक्षं कार्यं सावयवं यतः । तस्मात्कार्यस्य कर्तृत्वं पत्युर्न पशुपाशयोः

Transliteration

jagacca kartṛsāpekṣaṃ kāryaṃ sāvayavaṃ yataḥ | tasmātkāryasya kartṛtvaṃ patyurna paśupāśayoḥ

Translation

Et puisque le monde est un effet, dépendant d’une cause efficiente, et qu’il est composé de parties, l’agentivité (le fait d’être l’auteur) à l’égard de cet effet n’appartient qu’au Seigneur, le Pati, et non au paśu (l’âme liée) ni au pāśa (le lien).

Word by Word

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• kartṛ-sāpekṣam: dependent on a doer
• kartṛ-sāpekṣam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + sāpekṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुष ‘dependent on an agent/doer’

• kāryam: an effect; a product
• kāryam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate/apposition to jagat

• sa-avayavam: having parts
• sa-avayavam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष ‘with parts’

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; causal indeclinable ‘because/since’ (यतः)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Anvaya (हेतु/अन्वय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative-form used adverbially; ‘therefore/from that’ (तस्मात्)

• kāryasya: of the effect
• kāryasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• kartṛtvam: doership; agency
• kartṛtvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartṛtva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• patyuḥ: of the Lord (Pati)
• patyuḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle (निषेध)

• paśu-pāśayoḥ: of the bound soul and the bond
• paśu-pāśayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक) + pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व ‘of the paśu and the pāśa’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes the Shaiva Siddhanta principle that the universe, being a dependent and composite effect, cannot be ultimately authored by the limited soul or by bondage; true creative agency belongs to Pati—Lord Shiva—guiding the seeker from egoic doership toward surrender and liberation.

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

Linga worship centers the mind on Shiva as Pati, the supreme cause beyond the bound soul (paśu) and its limitations (pāśa). By honoring Saguna Shiva in the Linga, the devotee internalizes that all agency and grace flow from Him, not from individual ego-effort alone.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to perform japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and offer actions mentally to Shiva as the true Kartṛ (doer), reducing ahamkāra; this aligns well with Linga-pūjā with bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and steady dhyāna on Pati.