Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

मकारः पुरुषो बीजं तमः संहारको हरः । नादः परः पुमानीशो निर्गुणो निष्क्रियः शिवः

Transliteration

makāraḥ puruṣo bījaṃ tamaḥ saṃhārako haraḥ | nādaḥ paraḥ pumānīśo nirguṇo niṣkriyaḥ śivaḥ

Translation

La syllabe « Ma » est le Puruṣa, la semence (bīja). Il est Hara, le destructeur qui résorbe (les mondes) par le tamas. Il est le Nāda transcendant, le Seigneur suprême, la Personne la plus haute : Śiva, sans qualités (nirguṇa) et sans acte (niṣkriya).

Word by Word

• makāraḥ: the syllable ‘ma’
• makāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता; topic/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• puruṣaḥ: Puruṣa; person/spirit
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• bījam: seed
• bījam: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• tamaḥ: tamas (darkness/inertia)
• tamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• saṃhārakaḥ: destroyer
• saṃhārakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃhāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)
• haraḥ: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• nādaḥ: nāda (mystic sound)
• nādaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; topic/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• paraḥ: supreme
• paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंlिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• pumān: the male; person
• pumān: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• īśaḥ: Lord
• īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; apposition/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• nirguṇaḥ: without qualities; attributeless
• nirguṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nañ-tatpuruṣa (negative determinative/नञ्-तत्पुरुष), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• niṣkriyaḥ: actionless; inactive
• niṣkriyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣ-kriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nañ-tatpuruṣa (negative determinative/नञ्-तत्पुरुष), Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: makāraḥ puruṣo bījaṃ tamaḥ saṃhārako haraḥ | nādaḥ paraḥ pumānīśo nirguṇo niṣkriyaḥ śivaḥ

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: pralaya (implied through saṃhāra and tamas)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Hara

FAQs

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

It identifies Shiva as the causal seed and the inner reality of mantra-sound (nāda), teaching that the same Lord who dissolves the cosmos as Hara is, in truth, nirguṇa and niṣkriya—beyond the guṇas and worldly action—thus pointing the seeker toward liberation through right knowledge and mantra.

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

While Shiva is declared nirguṇa and actionless in essence, devotees approach Him through saguna supports—especially the Śiva-liṅga and the Pañcākṣarī—where mantra (sound/nāda) and form (liṅga) become compassionate means to realize the formless Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Namaḥ Śivāya), with inward contemplation on nāda (subtle sound) and Shiva as the seed-cause, is implied; it can be paired with traditional Shaiva observances like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and remembrance.