Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

एते वाराह कल्पे ऽस्मिन्सप्तमस्यांतरो मनोः । अष्टाविंशतिसंख्याता योगाचार्या युगक्रमात्

Transliteration

ete vārāha kalpe 'sminsaptamasyāṃtaro manoḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatisaṃkhyātā yogācāryā yugakramāt

Translation

Dans ce Vārāha Kalpa, durant le Manvantara du septième Manu, ces maîtres du Yoga—au nombre de vingt-huit—apparaissent en juste succession selon le déroulement des yuga.

Word by Word

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• vārāhe: in the Varāha (kalpa)
• vārāhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण, पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kalpe: in the aeon (kalpa)
• kalpe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• saptamasya: of the seventh
• saptamasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal), पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• antaraḥ: the interval/Manvantara
• antaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (मन्वन्तर-भावे)

• manoḥ: of Manu
• manoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• aṣṭāviṃśati-saṃkhyātāḥ: numbered as twenty-eight
• aṣṭāviṃśati-saṃkhyātāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭāviṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + saṃkhyāta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √khyā)
• Form: संख्या-तत्पुरुष (aṣṭāviṃśatyā saṃkhyātāḥ), भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• yogācāryāḥ: teachers of yoga
• yogācāryāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + ācārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (yogasya ācāryāḥ / yoga-ācāryāḥ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• yuga-kramāt: according to the sequence of ages
• yuga-kramāt: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuga (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (yugasya kramaḥ), पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ/क्रमेण (by sequence)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it frames the Vārāha-kalpa and the 7th Manu’s manvantara as the epoch in which Śiva’s yogic transmission unfolds through 28 successive yogācāryas.

Significance: Establishes scriptural authority for guru-paramparā and yuga-wise transmission of Śaiva yoga; supports the Siddhānta emphasis that liberating knowledge descends by Śiva’s grace through teachers.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Vārāha-kalpa; Vaivasvata (7th) Manu’s manvantara; yuga-krama succession

Characters & Entities

• Manu
• Vārāha Kalpa
• Yoga-acharyas

FAQs

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

It teaches that authentic yoga is a divinely maintained lineage across cosmic time, appearing in each yuga to guide bound souls (paśu) beyond bondage (pāśa) toward union with the Supreme Lord (Pati), Shiva.

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

By affirming an ordered tradition of yoga-teachers, the verse supports disciplined practice under guidance—often anchored in Saguna Shiva worship such as Linga-upasana, mantra-japa, and purity observances—leading the seeker toward Shiva-realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is to follow a genuine ācārya-guided path of Shiva-yoga—commonly including mantra-japa (especially Shiva mantras), meditation, and regulated conduct—rather than isolated self-invention.