Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22

दक्षयज्ञदर्शनम् — The Vision of Dakṣa’s Great Sacrifice

and the Onset of Vīrabhadra’s Terror

Devanagari script

अथोवाच गणाध्यक्षो देवान्विष्णुपुरोगमान् । मन्त्राः प्रमाणं न कृता युष्माभिर्बलगर्वितैः

Transliteration

athovāca gaṇādhyakṣo devānviṣṇupurogamān | mantrāḥ pramāṇaṃ na kṛtā yuṣmābhirbalagarvitaiḥ

Translation

ແລ້ວຫົວໜ້າແຫ່ງຄະນະຂອງພຣະສິວະ ໄດ້ກ່າວຕໍ່ເທວະທັງຫຼາຍ ໂດຍມີພຣະວິສນຸນຳໜ້າວ່າ: «ພວກເຈົ້າຜູ້ຫຼົງມານໃນກຳລັງ ບໍ່ໄດ້ນັບຖືມັນຕຣາເປັນຫຼັກອ້າງອີງ ແລະບໍ່ໄດ້ໃຊ້ມັນເປັນມາດຕະຖານແຫ່ງການກະທຳທີ່ຖືກທຳ»។

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connecting particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle of sequence/beginning)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• gaṇa-adhyakṣaḥ: the leader of the gaṇas
• gaṇa-adhyakṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (gaṇānām adhyakṣaḥ)

• devān: the gods
• devān: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• viṣṇu-purogamān: with Viṣṇu in front (led by Viṣṇu)
• viṣṇu-purogamān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + purogama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (viṣṇuḥ purogamaḥ yeṣām) विशेषणम् devān

• mantrāḥ: the mantras
• mantrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• pramāṇam: as authority/valid proof
• pramāṇam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मपद (object-complement)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• kṛtāḥ: were made/accepted
• kṛtāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/verbal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (done/made)

• yuṣmābhiḥ: by you
• yuṣmābhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), त्रितीया (instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• bala-garvitaiḥ: proud of (your) strength
• bala-garvitaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक) + garvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, त्रितीया, बहुवचन; तृतीया-सम्बन्धे विशेषणम् yuṣmābhiḥ; तत्पुरुषः (balena garvitaḥ)

Speaker

Gaṇādhyakṣa (chief of Shiva’s gaṇas)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narration; the verse asserts mantra-pramāṇa (mantra as authoritative measure), a key Siddhānta principle for right ritual and liberation.

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Devas
• Shiva's Ganas

FAQs

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

It warns that mere power (bala) without submission to sacred authority (mantra as pramāṇa) becomes ego-driven bondage; Shaiva teaching emphasizes humility and mantra-niṣṭhā as the correct measure of dharma and spiritual progress.

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

In Śaiva practice, Saguna Śiva is approached through mantra and ritual order; the verse implies that honoring mantra as pramāṇa is essential for right worship—outer strength or status cannot replace disciplined devotion to Śiva’s revealed means.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt mantra-japa with humility—especially Śiva-mantras such as the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya)—treating mantra as the guiding standard for conduct rather than acting from pride or force.