Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21

ध्यानप्रकारनिर्णयः / Determination of the Modes of Meditation

on Śrīkaṇṭha-Śiva

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य ध्यानयुक्तो भवेन्नरः । नास्ति ध्यानं विना ज्ञानं नास्ति ध्यानमयोगिनः

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaṃ parityajya dhyānayukto bhavennaraḥ | nāsti dhyānaṃ vinā jñānaṃ nāsti dhyānamayoginaḥ

Translation

C’est pourquoi, ayant tout abandonné, l’homme doit s’établir dans la méditation. Car sans méditation il n’est point de connaissance véritable ; et la méditation ne naît pas en celui qui n’est pas discipliné dans le Yoga.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुँल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक (contextual), पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘परित्यज्य’ इत्यस्य कर्म

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + परि- (उपसर्ग) → परित्यज्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• ध्यानयुक्तः: endowed with meditation
• ध्यानयुक्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान-युक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तृतीया/सप्तमीभावः) ‘ध्यानेन/ध्येयेन युक्तः’

• भवेत्: should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद-पूर्वकं पञ्चमी/द्वितीयार्थे (preposition ‘without’, governs accusative here)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• अयोगिनः: of a non-yogi
• अयोगिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थे (genitive: ‘of a non-yogi’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Shaiva liberation-oriented knowledge (jñāna) matures only through sustained meditation (dhyāna) and inner renunciation, aligning the pashu (soul) toward Pati (Shiva) by loosening pasha (bondage).

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

Meditation here supports Saguna upāsanā—fixing the mind on Shiva as Linga and Lord—so that devotion becomes one-pointed and ripens into direct inner recognition of Shiva’s presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt yogic discipline and daily dhyāna with Shiva-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), ideally supported by Shaiva observances like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa to steady the mind.