Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23

त्रिमूर्तिसाम्यं तथा महेश्वरस्य परमार्थकारणत्वम् | Equality of the Trimūrti and Maheśvara as the Supreme Cause

Devanagari script

तस्येश्वरस्य प्रतिमा ज्ञानवैराग्यलक्षणा । धर्मैश्वर्यकरी बुद्धिर्ब्राह्मी यज्ञे ऽभिमानिनः

Transliteration

tasyeśvarasya pratimā jñānavairāgyalakṣaṇā | dharmaiśvaryakarī buddhirbrāhmī yajñe 'bhimāninaḥ

Translation

ആ ഈശ്വരന്റെ പ്രതിമ ജ്ഞാനവും വൈരാഗ്യവും എന്ന ലക്ഷണങ്ങളാൽ വിശിഷ്ടമാണ്. യജ്ഞത്തിന്റെ അധിഷ്ഠാത്രിയായ ബ്രാഹ്മീ ബുദ്ധി ധർമ്മവും ഐശ്വര്യവും നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• īśvarasya: of the Lord
• īśvarasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• pratimā: image/form
• pratimā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratimā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• jñāna-vairāgya-lakṣaṇā: characterized by knowledge and dispassion
• jñāna-vairāgya-lakṣaṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vairāgya (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘ज्ञानं च वैराग्यं च (as defining features) यस्याः सा’ = characterized by knowledge and dispassion; agrees with ‘pratimā’

• dharma-aiśvarya-karī: producing dharma and sovereignty
• dharma-aiśvarya-karī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक) + karī (प्रातिपदिक; from √kṛ/कृ ‘to do’, agentive feminine)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुषः: ‘धर्मं ऐश्वर्यं च करोति’ = producing dharma and lordly power; agrees with ‘buddhiḥ’

• buddhiḥ: intellect
• buddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• brāhmī: Brahmā-related/Brahmic
• brāhmī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relational adjective ‘pertaining to Brahmā/Brahman’

• yajñe: in the sacrifice
• yajñe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• abhimāninaḥ: of the presiding/identifying one
• abhimāninaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhimānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (classical usage also allows nominative plural; here best as genitive singular qualifying ‘buddhiḥ’/‘pratimā’ as ‘of the presiding/identifying one’ in yajña)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma

FAQs

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

It identifies the Lord’s true “mark” as jñāna (right knowledge) and vairāgya (detachment), teaching that approach to Shiva is perfected not merely by outer acts but by inner transformation that leads toward moksha.

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

A pratimā (including the Śiva-liṅga) is meaningful when it awakens the qualities it signifies—knowledge and dispassion—so saguna worship becomes a doorway to realizing Shiva as Pati beyond bondage (pāśa).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Let yajña become inward: practice buddhi (discernment) with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering attachments into the fire of awareness, so dharma and true aiśvarya (spiritual sovereignty) arise.