Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

तत्रोक्तः परमो धर्मश्चर्याद्यात्मा चतुर्विधः । तेषु पाशुपतो योगः शिवं प्रत्यक्षयेद्दृढम्

Transliteration

tatroktaḥ paramo dharmaścaryādyātmā caturvidhaḥ | teṣu pāśupato yogaḥ śivaṃ pratyakṣayeddṛḍham

Translation

അവിടെ പരമധർമ്മം ചര്യ മുതലായവയിൽ ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന നാലുവിധമായി ഉപദേശിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. അവയിൽ പാശുപതയോഗം ദൃഢമായി ശിവന്റെ പ്രത്യക്ഷസാക്ഷാത്കാരം നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tatra: there / in that (teaching)
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय) — ‘there/in that context’

• uktaḥ: is declared
• uktaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — ‘said/declared’

• paramaḥ: supreme
• paramaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — ‘supreme’

• dharmaḥ: dharma
• dharmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — ‘dharma’

• caryā-ādi-ātmā: having the nature of caryā etc.
• caryā-ādi-ātmā: Visheshana (विशेषण/nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caryā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — ‘whose nature consists of caryā etc.’; compound sense: caryā-ādi (dvandva-like list) qualifying ātman; overall tatpuruṣa

• catur-vidhaḥ: fourfold
• catur-vidhaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — dvigu ‘fourfold’

• teṣu: among these
• teṣu: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural — ‘among them’

• pāśupataḥ: Pāśupata
• pāśupataḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśupata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — qualifying yogaḥ

• yogaḥ: yoga
• yogaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular — ‘yoga’

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular — object

• pratyakṣayet: should make directly perceptible
• pratyakṣayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + akṣ (धातु)
• Form: Optative/vidhiliṅ (विधिलिङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular — ‘should make manifest/bring to direct perception’

• dṛḍham: firmly
• dṛḍham: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘firmly/steadfastly’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It presents the Shaiva path as a structured fourfold discipline (beginning with caryā) and highlights Pāśupata Yoga as the most direct means to steadfastly realize Śiva as the supreme Pati who liberates the bound soul (paśu) from pasha (bondage).

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

By emphasizing a practical path beginning with caryā, it supports disciplined worship and service—often expressed as reverent Linga-upāsanā—through which the devotee’s mind becomes purified and capable of direct Śiva-realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to adopting Pāśupata-style Shaiva discipline: steady yoga supported by Shaiva conduct and worship—commonly including mantra-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī), and traditional Shaiva observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids to steadfastness.