Shloka 10

शिवमायाप्रभाववर्णनम्

Description of the Power/Effects of Śiva’s Māyā

Devanagari script

देवानां योनयश्चाष्टौ मानुषी नवमी च या । तिरश्चां योनयः पंच भवंत्येवं चतुर्द्दश

Transliteration

devānāṃ yonayaścāṣṭau mānuṣī navamī ca yā | tiraścāṃ yonayaḥ paṃca bhavaṃtyevaṃ caturddaśa

Translation

ದೇವತೆಗಳ ಎಂಟು ಯೋನಿಗಳು, ಒಂಬತ್ತನೆಯದು ಮಾನವ ಯೋನಿ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳ ಐದು ಯೋನಿಗಳು—ಹೀಗೆ ಒಟ್ಟು ಹದಿನಾಲ್ಕು ಯೋನಿಗಳಿವೆ.

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• योनयः: wombs/origins
• योनयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् योनयः

• मानुषी: the human (womb/origin)
• मानुषी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• नवमी: ninth
• नवमी: Karta (कर्ता/subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (ordinal) मानुषी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• या: which (is)
• या: Karta (कर्ता/relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• तिरश्चाम्: of animals (non-human beings)
• तिरश्चाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिरश्च् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• योनयः: wombs/origins
• योनयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Karta (कर्ता/subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा (Nominative) बहुवचनार्थे; संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम् योनयः

• भवन्ति: are/become
• भवन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adder)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थ-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Karta (कर्ता/subject-complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचकः; प्रथमा (Nominative) बहुवचनार्थे; द्वन्द्व-समाहारः (14 = 4+10); समस्तसंख्या विशेषणम् (implicit total)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga episode; it classifies embodied births (yoni-bheda) to frame the scope of bound souls (paśu) across realms.

Significance: Encourages vairāgya and compassion by recognizing the soul’s transmigratory range; motivates seeking Śiva’s grace beyond mere heavenly birth.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Humans
• Tiryak (animals)

FAQs

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

It classifies embodied existence into fourteen yoni-groups, highlighting how the bound soul (paśu) moves through varied births under karma and bondage (pāśa), until grace and right knowledge lead toward Shiva (Pati) and liberation.

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

By emphasizing the diversity and limitation of embodied states, it implicitly points to Saguna Shiva—worshiped as the Linga—as the compassionate refuge whose grace uplifts beings beyond karmic cycles, turning worldly birth into a path of purification.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is steady japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") with devotion, supported by Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha, to purify karma and orient the mind toward moksha.