Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

शिवस्य परापरब्रह्मस्वरूपनिर्णयः / Determination of Śiva as Higher and Lower Brahman

Devanagari script

हिरण्यगर्भो लोकानां हेतुर्विश्वात्मको विराट् । अंतर्यामी परश्चेति कथ्यते कविभिश्शिवः

Transliteration

hiraṇyagarbho lokānāṃ heturviśvātmako virāṭ | aṃtaryāmī paraśceti kathyate kavibhiśśivaḥ

Translation

Les sages proclament Śiva comme Hiraṇyagarbha, source causale des mondes; comme Virāṭ, dont la forme est le cosmos; comme l’Antaryāmin, le Régent intérieur demeurant en tous; et comme le Para, le Suprême Transcendant au-delà de tout.

Word by Word

• hiraṇyagarbhaḥ: Hiraṇyagarbha
• hiraṇyagarbhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiraṇyagarbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• lokānām: of the worlds
• lokānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• hetuḥ: cause
• hetuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• viśva-ātmakaḥ: having the universe as his self; universal-souled
• viśva-ātmakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘विश्वः आत्मा यस्य/यः’

• virāṭ: Virāṭ
• virāṭ: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• antaryāmī: inner ruler (Antaryāmin)
• antaryāmī: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antar (प्रातिपदिक) + yāmin (यामिन्) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘अन्तः यामयति/नियच्छति’ → ‘inner controller’

• paraḥ: supreme; transcendent
• paraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/nominal predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• kathyate: is said/called
• kathyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (कथ्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• kavibhiḥ: by sages/poets
• kavibhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/agent of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), बहुवचन

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karma (कर्म/नामनिर्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It identifies Śiva as both immanent and transcendent—He is the world’s causal source (hetu), the cosmic totality (Virāṭ), the indwelling guide (antaryāmī), and the Supreme beyond all (para), establishing Śiva as Pati who grants liberation.

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

Linga worship trains the mind to see one Lord present in all forms: the Linga symbolizes the transcendent Para-Śiva, while devotion recognizes His immanence as Virāṭ and Antaryāmī within the universe and the heart.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate with the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating Śiva as the Antaryāmī in the heart and as Para beyond thought; offer simple Linga-pūjā with bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and steady japa for inner purification.