Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

तत्रानपेक्षात्सापेक्षो मुख्यः शतगुणाधिकः । शिवधर्मान्वयस्यास्य शिवज्ञानसमन्वयः

Transliteration

tatrānapekṣātsāpekṣo mukhyaḥ śataguṇādhikaḥ | śivadharmānvayasyāsya śivajñānasamanvayaḥ

Translation

ആ സന്ദർഭത്തിൽ ‘സാപേക്ഷ’മായ പ്രധാനോപായം ‘അനപേക്ഷ’ത്തേക്കാൾ ശതഗുണം ശ്രേഷ്ഠം. ഈ ശിവധർമ്മപരമ്പര ശിവജ്ഞാനസമന്വയത്താൽ പരിപൂർണമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tatra: there/in that case
• tatra: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Context marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय) meaning ‘there/in that context’

• anapekṣāt: than the independent (one)
• anapekṣāt: Apādāna (अपादान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anapekṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; used comparatively ‘than the independent (type)’

• sāpekṣaḥ: the dependent (one)
• sāpekṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāpekṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• mukhyaḥ: primary/chief
• mukhyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective qualifying sāpekṣaḥ

• śata-guṇa-adhikaḥ: exceeding by a hundredfold
• śata-guṇa-adhikaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier of sāpekṣaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः: śata-guṇa (द्विगु/संख्यापूर्वक-समासः: ‘hundredfold’) + adhika (तत्पुरुषः: ‘exceeding’)

• śiva-dharma-anvayasya: of the connection with Śiva-dharma
• śiva-dharma-anvayasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + anvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; समासः: śiva-dharma (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + anvaya (तत्पुरुषः)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• śiva-jñāna-samanvayaḥ: the integration/connection with knowledge of Śiva
• śiva-jñāna-samanvayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदik) + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समासः: śiva-jñāna (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘knowledge of Śiva’) + samanvaya (तत्पुरुषः: ‘integration/accord with’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that mere religious observance (Śiva-dharma) becomes truly fruitful only when joined with Śiva-jñāna—right knowledge of Śiva as Pati—leading the soul beyond bondage (pāśa) toward liberation.

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

Linga and saguna worship are primary supports that ‘depend’ on form, mantra, and rite; the verse emphasizes that such principal, supported practice is highly efficacious when it matures into Śiva-jñāna—seeing the Linga as the presence of Pati and not merely a symbol.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Sustained Śiva-upāsanā (japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” Linga-pūjā with bhakti) should be paired with contemplation on Śiva as the supreme Lord (Pati) so that practice culminates in liberating knowledge.