Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 25

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

नास्ति शंभोः परं तत्त्वं सर्वकारणकारणात् । ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिदेवानां स्रष्टुर्गुणपराद्विभोः

Transliteration

nāsti śaṃbhoḥ paraṃ tattvaṃ sarvakāraṇakāraṇāt | brahmaviṣṇvādidevānāṃ sraṣṭurguṇaparādvibhoḥ

Translation

സകല കാരണങ്ങളുടെയും കാരണമായ സർവ്വശക്തനായ ശംഭുവിനെക്കാൾ ഉയർന്ന തത്ത്വം ഇല്ല. അവൻ ഗുണാതീതനായ വിഭു; അവനിൽ നിന്നാണ് ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു മുതലായ ദേവന്മാർ ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is
• अस्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शंभोः: of Śambhu
• शंभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• परम्: higher; beyond
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of तत्त्वम्)

• तत्त्वम्: principle; reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of अस्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्व-कारण-कारणात्: than/from the cause of all causes
• सर्व-कारण-कारणात्: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative—standard of comparison/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वकारणानां कारणम्’), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ पञ्चमी (ablative of cause/comparison)

• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-आदि-देवानाम्: of the gods beginning with Brahmā and Viṣṇu
• ब्रह्म-विष्णु-आदि-देवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: ‘ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादयः देवाः’), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्रष्टुः: of the creator
• स्रष्टुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गुण-परात्: beyond the guṇas
• गुण-परात्: Apadana (अपादान/Ablative—beyond/from)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गुणेभ्यः परः’), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण-रूपेण (qualifying vibhoḥ/śambhoḥ implied)

• विभोः: of the all-pervading Lord
• विभोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नास्ति शंभोः परं तत्त्वं सर्वकारणकारणात् । ब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिदेवानां स्रष्टुर्गुणपराद्विभोः

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It declares Śiva (Śambhu) as the supreme Pati—higher than all tattvas and the ultimate source of even Brahmā and Viṣṇu—guiding the seeker to place liberation-focused devotion and knowledge in Śiva alone.

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

Though Śiva is described as beyond the guṇas (nirguṇa), devotees approach Him through saguna worship such as the Śiva-liṅga, which serves as a sanctified support for realizing the transcendent Lord who is the cause of all causes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Śiva as guṇātīta (beyond the guṇas) while performing Śiva-pūjā; japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” aligns the mind to the supreme cause and supports mokṣa-oriented devotion.