Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 14

शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice

Devanagari script

युगावर्तेषु शिष्येत योगाचार्यस्वरूपिणा । तत्रतत्रावतीर्णेन शिवेनैव प्रवर्त्यते

Transliteration

yugāvarteṣu śiṣyeta yogācāryasvarūpiṇā | tatratatrāvatīrṇena śivenaiva pravartyate

Translation

യുഗങ്ങളുടെ സംധിക്കാലങ്ങളിൽ അവൻ യോഗാചാര്യസ്വരൂപം ധരിച്ചു ശിഷ്യരെ ശിക്ഷിക്കുന്നു; അവൻ അവിടവിടെയായി അവതരിക്കുന്നിടത്ത് സ്വയം ശിവൻ തന്നെയാണ് സാധനാധർമ്മം പ്രవర്ത്തിപ്പിച്ച് നിലനിർത്തുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• युग-आवर्तेषु: in the cycles of ages
• युग-आवर्तेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक) + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (युगस्य आवर्तः)

• शिष्येत: should be taught / should be instructed
• शिष्येत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (impersonal/passive sense)

• योग-आचार्य-स्वरूपिणा: by (one) having the form of a yoga-teacher
• योग-आचार्य-स्वरूपिणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (योगस्य आचार्यः—तस्य स्वरूपः)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• तत्र: there (in each place)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for distributive sense)

• अवतीर्णेन: by the descended (one)
• अवतीर्णेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• शिवेन: by Śiva
• शिवेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• एव: indeed / alone
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• प्रवर्त्यते: is set in motion / is propagated
• प्रवर्त्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: yuga-āvarta (turning/revolution of ages)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that the transmission of liberating knowledge is not merely human: Shiva, as Pati (the Lord), compassionately manifests as the Guru in every yuga to awaken souls (paśu) and lead them beyond bondage (pāśa) through yoga and right discipline.

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

Shiva’s descent as a Yogācārya highlights Saguna grace—Shiva taking an accessible form for guidance—while Linga worship remains a stable, timeless support for that guidance, anchoring the disciple in devotion and inner concentration that yoga then deepens.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The takeaway is Guru-oriented Shiva-yoga: receive instruction, practice steady meditation and mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and support it with Shaiva disciplines such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as aids to remembrance and purity.