Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 26

योगाचार्यरूपेण शर्वावताराः (Śarva’s manifestations as Yoga-Teachers)

Devanagari script

फलमूलाशनप्रायाः प्राणायामपरायणाः । शिवाभिमानसंपन्नाः शिवध्यानैकतत्पराः

Transliteration

phalamūlāśanaprāyāḥ prāṇāyāmaparāyaṇāḥ | śivābhimānasaṃpannāḥ śivadhyānaikatatparāḥ

Translation

Ils se nourrissaient surtout de fruits et de racines, voués à la discipline du prāṇāyāma. Remplis de l’identification : « Je suis à Śiva », ils demeuraient d’un seul esprit, entièrement tournés vers la méditation de Śiva seul.

Word by Word

• फल-मूल-आशन-प्रायाः: mostly subsisting on fruits and roots
• फल-मूल-आशन-प्रायाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + आशन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिसमासः—‘फलमूलाशनं प्रायं येषाम्’ (those whose food is mostly fruits and roots)

• प्राणायाम-परायणाः: devoted to breath-control
• प्राणायाम-परायणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक) + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘प्राणायामे परायणाः’ (devoted to prāṇāyāma)

• शिव-अभिमान-संपन्नाः: filled with Śiva-identification
• शिव-अभिमान-संपन्नाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिमान (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘शिवाभिमानेन संपन्नाः’ (endowed with identification/pride in Śiva)

• शिव-ध्यान-एक-तत्पराः: solely intent on meditating on Śiva
• शिव-ध्यान-एक-तत्पराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—‘शिवध्यान एव एकतत्पराः’ (exclusively intent on meditation on Śiva)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Internal pilgrimage (antaryātrā): purity of diet, prāṇāyāma, and one-pointed Śiva-dhyāna are presented as direct means to attenuate mala and mature the soul for Śiva’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It praises the Shaiva path where outer restraint (simple, sattvic living) supports inner restraint (prāṇāyāma), culminating in unwavering Śiva-dhyāna and a transformed identity rooted in Pati (Śiva), loosening the bonds (pāśa) that bind the soul (paśu).

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

The verse emphasizes sustained meditation on Śiva; in practice, this often takes the Saguna support of Liṅga-upāsanā (form-based focus) to steady the mind, which then matures into deeper contemplative absorption on Śiva’s lordship and grace.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It directly recommends prāṇāyāma and one-pointed Śiva meditation; a Shaiva takeaway is to combine regulated breath with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and a disciplined, simple diet to stabilize dhyāna.