Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 12

सत्याः पुनस्तपश्चर्या — Satī’s Return to Austerity (Tapas) and Fearless Liṅga-Worship

Devanagari script

निरीक्ष्यमाणः सततं देवीमेव तदा ऽनिशम् । अतिष्ठदग्रतस्तस्या उपासनमिवाचरत्

Transliteration

nirīkṣyamāṇaḥ satataṃ devīmeva tadā 'niśam | atiṣṭhadagratastasyā upāsanamivācarat

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവൻ ഇടവിടാതെ ദേവിയെയേ നോക്കി, അവളുടെ മുമ്പിൽ തുടർച്ചയായി നിന്നു; ഉപാസന ചെയ്യുന്നവനെപ്പോലെ പെരുമാറി.

Word by Word

• निरीक्ष्यमाणः: while looking/observing
• निरीक्ष्यमाणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ईक्ष्/√निरीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present participle), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• अनिशम्: unceasingly
• अनिशम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिश (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'without pause')

• अतिष्ठत्: stood
• अतिष्ठत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb: 'in front')

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• उपासनम्: worship/service
• उपासनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle)

• आचरत्: performed/practised
• आचरत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Parvati

FAQs

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

It presents upāsanā as an inner discipline: unwavering, continuous attention (anīśam) becomes a form of worship, showing how devotion is expressed through steady contemplative presence.

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

Even without describing a liṅga-ritual directly, the verse reflects saguna-upāsanā: fixed, loving contemplation of the divine form (here, the Devī) as a legitimate mode of worship aligned with Shaiva devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is unbroken remembrance (smaraṇa) and attentive presence as meditation; it can be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to stabilize continuous devotion.