Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15

योगप्रकारनिर्णयः

Classification and Definition of Yoga

Devanagari script

प्राणायामः प्रत्याहारो धारणा ध्यानमेव च । समाधिरिति योगांगान्यष्टावुक्तानि सूरिभिः

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmaḥ pratyāhāro dhāraṇā dhyānameva ca | samādhiriti yogāṃgānyaṣṭāvuktāni sūribhiḥ

Translation

Prāṇāyāma (régulation du souffle), pratyāhāra (retrait des sens), dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (méditation) et samādhi : ainsi les sages ont proclamé les huit membres du Yoga.

Word by Word

• प्राणायामः: breath-control (prāṇāyāma)
• प्राणायामः: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देशः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक; प्राण + आयाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणस्य आयामः)

• प्रत्याहारः: withdrawal (of senses)
• प्रत्याहारः: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देशः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्याहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धारणा: concentration
• धारणा: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देशः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देशः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• समाधिः: samādhi (absorption)
• समाधिः: Karta (कर्ता/उद्देश्य-निर्देशः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-सूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• योगाङ्गानि: limbs of yoga
• योगाङ्गानि: Karta (कर्ता/विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक; योग + अङ्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (योगस्य अङ्गानि)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (योगाङ्गानि इति विषयस्य संख्या)

• उक्तानि: declared/said
• उक्तानि: Karma (कर्म/वर्णित-वस्तु)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे ‘said/declared’

• सूरिभिः: by sages/learned ones
• सूरिभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana teachings on Yoga within the Vayu Samhita discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Maps the inner ascent of the paśu: from prāṇa regulation and sensory withdrawal to samādhi, the proximate condition for receiving Śiva’s liberating grace (anugraha).

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Yoga as a disciplined, stepwise inner ascent—purifying prāṇa and mind so the soul (paśu) can be freed from bonds (pāśa) and turn toward Shiva, the supreme Lord (Pati), culminating in samādhi.

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

These limbs support Linga-upāsanā by steadying the senses and mind: dhāraṇā and dhyāna make the worship inwardly continuous, so devotion to Saguna Shiva matures into deeper absorption and Shiva-realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to integrate prāṇāyāma with inward sense-withdrawal and focused dhyāna—ideally alongside Shaiva japa (such as the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to stabilize concentration and deepen meditation.