Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20
शक्त्यादिसृष्टिनिरूपणम् / The Account of Creation Beginning with Śakti
गुणसाम्ये तदा तस्मिन्नविभागे तमोदये । शांतवातैकनीरे च न प्राज्ञायत किंचन
guṇasāmye tadā tasminnavibhāge tamodaye | śāṃtavātaikanīre ca na prājñāyata kiṃcana
Alors, lorsque les guṇas étaient en parfaite égalité—sans différenciation et sous la domination des ténèbres—lorsque même les vents s’étaient apaisés et que tout n’était qu’une seule étendue indivise, rien ne pouvait être discerné.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadyojāta
Cosmic Event: pre-creation indistinction: guṇa-sāmya, tamas-dominant obscuration, motionless ‘winds’
FAQs
It points to the pre-manifest condition where prakṛti’s guṇas are balanced and no names or forms appear—highlighting that true discernment arises only when Shiva, the transcendent Pati, initiates manifestation and grants awareness beyond tamas.
The undifferentiated state described here contrasts with the manifest, worshipful revelation of Shiva as Liṅga—Saguna Shiva becomes the accessible focus through which devotees move from obscuration (tamas) to clarity, grace, and liberation.
A practical takeaway is inner stillness: meditate with the pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” letting the ‘winds’ of thought subside; this aligns the mind toward Shiva-consciousness beyond guṇic disturbance.