Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 37

प्रणवविभागः—वेदस्वरूपत्वं लिङ्गे च प्रतिष्ठा

The Division of Oṃ, Its Vedic Forms, and Its Placement in the Liṅga

Devanagari script

ममार्थेन शिवेनेदं तामसेनाभिधीयते । अथर्वाह तुरायाख्यं तुरीयातीतमेव च

Transliteration

mamārthena śivenedaṃ tāmasenābhidhīyate | atharvāha turāyākhyaṃ turīyātītameva ca

Translation

ຕາມຄວາມໝາຍທີ່ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າປະສົງ ຄຳສອນນີ້ຖືກປະກາດໂດຍ ຕາມະສະ—ພຣະສິວະເຈົ້າເອງ. ມັນຍັງຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ “ອະຖະວາຫາ” ທີ່ຮູ້ຈັກວ່າ “ຕູຣາ” ແລະແທ້ຈິງແມ່ນຜູ້ຂ້າມພົ້ນແມ່ນແຕ່ສະພາບທີ່ສີ່ (ຕູຣີຍາຕີຕ).

Word by Word

• मम: of me; my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन

• अर्थेन: by the meaning/sense
• अर्थेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), एकवचन

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तामसेन: by the tāmasa (dark/inert)
• तामसेन: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (instrumental qualifier)

• अभिधीयते: is designated/called
• अभिधीयते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• अथर्व: Atharva (Atharva-veda)
• अथर्व: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अथर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; छान्दस-रूप (Atharvan → Atharva)

• आह: said
• आह: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अह्/√ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तुरा-आख्यम्: called 'turā'
• तुरा-आख्यम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुरा (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तुरायाः आख्यं = named 'turā')

• तुरीय-आतीतम्: the state beyond turīya
• तुरीय-आतीतम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुरीय (प्रातिपदिक) + अतीत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तुरीयस्य अतीतम् = beyond the fourth state)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It points to Shiva as the revealer of the highest knowledge, describing realization that goes beyond ordinary states of consciousness—even beyond turīya—indicating liberation in the supreme, transcendent Shiva.

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

While Linga/Saguna worship purifies and stabilizes the devotee, this verse emphasizes the culmination: knowledge of Shiva as the transcendent reality (Pati) that surpasses all mental states, which Saguna worship is meant to lead toward.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A meditative takeaway is to practice steady Shiva-dhyāna and mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, "Om Namaḥ Śivāya") to transcend waking, dream, and deep sleep identifications and move toward turīyātīta absorption in Shiva.