Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 32

सर्‍वेश्वर-परमकारण-निरूपणम् / The Supreme Lord as the Uncaused Cause

Devanagari script

प्रसादसाधनं धर्मस्स च वेदेन दर्शितः । तदभ्यासवशात्साम्यं पूर्वयोः पुण्यपापयोः

Transliteration

prasādasādhanaṃ dharmassa ca vedena darśitaḥ | tadabhyāsavaśātsāmyaṃ pūrvayoḥ puṇyapāpayoḥ

Translation

ಧರ್ಮವೇ ಶಿವಪ್ರಸಾದವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುವ ಸಾಧನ; ಅದು ವೇದದಿಂದಲೇ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶಿತವಾಗಿದೆ. ಆ ವೇದೋಕ್ತ ಧರ್ಮದ ನಿರಂತರ ಅಭ್ಯಾಸದಿಂದ ಪೂರ್ವದ ಪುಣ್ಯಪಾಪಗಳು ಸಮಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ಶಮನಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತವೆ.

Word by Word

• प्रसादसाधनम्: the means to (obtain) grace
• प्रसादसाधनम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद + साधन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रसादस्य साधनम् = means to grace)

• धर्मः: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रसादसाधनम् इत्यस्य समनाधिकरणम् (appositional)

• सः: that (dharma)
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (referring to dharma)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• वेदेन: by the Veda
• वेदेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• दर्शितः: is shown/indicated
• दर्शितः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject) (agreeing with धर्मः/सः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-भावः (shown/indicated)

• तत्: of that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्; समासे पूर्वपदम् (of that)

• अभ्यासवशात्: due to the force of practice
• अभ्यासवशात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यास + वश (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अभ्यासस्य वशः = power/force of practice); हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी (ablative of cause)

• साम्यम्: equivalence/equality
• साम्यम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• पूर्वयोः: of the former two
• पूर्वयोः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), द्विवचनम्; विशेषणम् पुण्यपापयोः

• पुण्यपापयोः: of merit and sin
• पुण्यपापयोः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + पाप (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार-द्वन्द्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्; द्वन्द्व-समासः (पुण्यं च पापं च)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Veda
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It teaches that Śiva’s grace (prasāda) is approached through Veda-rooted dharma, and that sustained practice matures the soul so that karmic opposites (puṇya and pāpa) lose their binding power—supporting liberation in a Shaiva Siddhanta sense through grace and purification.

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

Veda-guided dharma includes disciplined Śiva-upāsanā—such as Linga worship with right conduct and intention—by which the devotee becomes fit for Śiva’s prasāda; the practice purifies karma so worship is not merely transactional but transformative.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Veda-aligned Śiva practice: daily Linga pūjā, japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and living dharmically; these steady disciplines are implied as the ‘abhyāsa’ that weakens both merit and sin as binding forces.