Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28

Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)

अकारश्च महाबीजं रजः स्रष्टा चतुर्मुखः । उकारः प्रकृतिर्योनिः सत्त्वं पालयिता हरिः

akāraśca mahābījaṃ rajaḥ sraṣṭā caturmukhaḥ | ukāraḥ prakṛtiryoniḥ sattvaṃ pālayitā hariḥ

« A » est la grande semence (mahābīja), le guṇa rajas et le créateur aux quatre visages (Brahmā). « U » est Prakṛti, le yoni (matrice), le guṇa sattva et Hari (Viṣṇu), le préservateur.

akāraḥthe syllable ‘a’
akāraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; topic/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormSamuccaya-nipāta (conjunction/समुच्चय-निपात)
mahā-bījamthe great seed (mantra-seed)
mahā-bījam:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
FormKarmadhāraya (descriptive/कर्मधारय), Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
rajaḥrajas (activity/passion)
rajaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootrajas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
sraṣṭācreator
sraṣṭā:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Root√sṛj (धातु)
FormKṛdanta agent noun (कर्तृवाचक/तृच्), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
caturmukhaḥthe four-faced one (Brahmā)
caturmukhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
TypeNoun
Rootcatur (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormBahuvrīhi (possessive/बहुव्रीहि: ‘yasya catvāri mukhāni’), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
ukāraḥthe syllable ‘u’
ukāraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; topic/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootukāra (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
prakṛtiḥPrakṛti (primordial nature)
prakṛtiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootprakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
yoniḥwomb; source
yoniḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootyoni (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
sattvamsattva (purity/harmony)
sattvam:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootsattva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
pālayitāprotector
pālayitā:
Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Root√pāl (धातु)
FormKṛdanta agent noun (कर्तृवाचक/तृच्), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)
hariḥHari (Viṣṇu)
hariḥ:
Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
TypeNoun
Roothari (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

Suta Goswami

Tattva Level: pasha

Mantra: akāraśca mahābījaṃ rajaḥ sraṣṭā caturmukhaḥ | ukāraḥ prakṛtiryoniḥ sattvaṃ pālayitā hariḥ

Role: creative

B
Brahma
V
Vishnu
P
Prakriti

FAQs

It maps the seed-sounds of sacred vibration to cosmic functions and guṇas—showing how creation and preservation arise within Prakṛti through rajas and sattva, while Shaiva teaching ultimately points beyond guṇas to Pati (Shiva) for liberation.

In Linga worship, the devotee contemplates the whole cosmos—Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and the guṇas—as dependent powers, while the Linga signifies Shiva as the transcendent Lord (Pati) who governs them and grants grace beyond Prakṛti.

Meditate on the sounds ‘A’ and ‘U’ as parts of AUM, reflecting on rajas and sattva as movements of Prakṛti; then stabilize the mind in mantra-japa (especially Shiva-mantra) to transcend guṇas through devotion and inner stillness.