Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

पूजाविधान-व्याख्या (Pūjāvidhāna-vyākhyā) — Exposition of the Procedure of Worship

Devanagari script

शैवीं सदाशिवाख्यां वा तथा माहेश्वरीं पराम् । षड्विंशकाभिधानां वा श्रीकंठाख्यामथापि वा

Transliteration

śaivīṃ sadāśivākhyāṃ vā tathā māheśvarīṃ parām | ṣaḍviṃśakābhidhānāṃ vā śrīkaṃṭhākhyāmathāpi vā

Translation

Qu’on l’appelle Śaivī (la doctrine), ou qu’on le nomme Sadāśiva; qu’on vénère la suprême Māheśvarī; ou qu’on invoque ce qui est dit « les Vingt-Six » (tattva); ou même qu’on l’adresse comme Śrīkaṇṭha—par ces appellations sacrées, c’est le même Grand Seigneur qui est désigné.

Word by Word

• śaivīm: Śaiva (form/one)
• śaivīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śaivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (sg); viśeṣaṇa (adjectival)

• sadāśiva-ākhyām: called ‘Sadāśiva’
• sadāśiva-ākhyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadāśiva (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā (Acc./2nd), Ekavacana; nāmadheya-viśeṣaṇa: “named Sadāśiva”

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-avyaya (particle of alternative)

• tathā: likewise/also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• māheśvarīm: Māheśvarī (form/one)
• māheśvarīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māheśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā (Acc./2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa

• parām: supreme
• parām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā (Acc./2nd), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa

• ṣaḍviṃśaka-abhidhānām: named ‘Ṣaḍviṃśaka’ (twenty-six)
• ṣaḍviṃśaka-abhidhānām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaḍviṃśaka (प्रातिपदिक) + abhidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā (Acc./2nd), Ekavacana; “having the designation ‘Twenty-six’/called Ṣaḍviṃśaka”

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-avyaya (alternative particle)

• śrīkaṃṭha-ākhyām: called ‘Śrīkaṇṭha’
• śrīkaṃṭha-ākhyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīkaṃṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (f.), Dvitīyā (Acc./2nd), Ekavacana; “named Śrīkaṇṭha”

• atha: then/also
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (discourse particle)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (particle: ‘also/even’)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-avyaya (alternative particle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Sadashiva
• Maheshvara
• Shrikantha

FAQs

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

It teaches that diverse Shaiva designations—Sadāśiva, Māheśvara, Śrīkaṇṭha, and even philosophical categories like the tattvas—ultimately refer to the one Supreme Pati, encouraging non-sectarian devotion rooted in right understanding.

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

By affirming many valid names and approaches, the verse supports Saguna worship (such as Linga-upāsanā) as a legitimate doorway to the same Supreme Lord who is also known in higher discourse as Sadāśiva and the ground of all principles (tattvas).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is nāma-japa and dhyāna: chant Shiva’s names (e.g., Sadāśiva/Śrīkaṇṭha) with the Panchākṣarī ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya,’ and contemplate Him as the Lord beyond and within the tattvas.