Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 30

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

Devanagari script

अथवाशेषकल्याणगुणैकधन ईश्वरः । शिव इत्युच्यते सद्भिश्शिवतत्त्वार्थवादिभिः

Transliteration

athavāśeṣakalyāṇaguṇaikadhana īśvaraḥ | śiva ityucyate sadbhiśśivatattvārthavādibhiḥ

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ, സർവ്വ മംഗളഗുണങ്ങളുടെ ഏക നിധിയായ പരമേശ്വരനെ സജ്ജനർ—ശിവതത്ത്വത്തിന്റെ യഥാർത്ഥ അർത്ഥം വ്യാഖ്യാനിക്കുന്നവർ—“ശിവൻ” എന്നു കീർത്തിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (alternative/disjunctive)

• अशेष-कल्याण-गुण-एक-धनः: he whose only wealth is limitless auspicious qualities
• अशेष-कल्याण-गुण-एक-धनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + कल्याण (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'यस्य धनम् एकम् (केवलम्) अशेष-कल्याण-गुणाः' (whose sole wealth is endless auspicious qualities)

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शिवः: Śiva / auspicious one
• शिवः: Pratipādya/Predicate (विशेष्य/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent in passive; तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; 'सद्' = good/virtuous persons

• शिव-तत्त्व-अर्थ-वादिभिः: by those who expound the meaning of Śiva-tattva
• शिव-तत्त्व-अर्थ-वादिभिः: Kartr̥ (कर्ता/Agent in passive; तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—(शिवतत्त्वस्य अर्थं वदन्ति ये) 'those who expound the meaning of Śiva-tattva'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines “Śiva” as the Supreme Lord (Pati) who embodies all auspiciousness, and affirms that true knowers of Śiva-tattva recognize Him as the ultimate source of grace and liberation.

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

By describing Śiva as the treasury of auspicious qualities, it supports Saguna-upāsanā—devotional worship of Śiva (including the Liṅga) as the compassionate Lord whose attributes are contemplated to receive anugraha (divine grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is guṇa-smaraṇa and nāma-japa: meditate on Śiva’s auspicious qualities while repeating His name—especially the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a Shaiva Siddhanta-aligned path toward purification and grace.