Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28
कालमान-निर्णयः
Determination of the Measures of Time
प्रजाः प्रजानां पतयो मूर्तयश्च सुरासुराः । इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थाश्च महाभूतानि पञ्च च
prajāḥ prajānāṃ patayo mūrtayaśca surāsurāḥ | indriyāṇīndriyārthāśca mahābhūtāni pañca ca
പ്രജകളും പ്രജകളുടെ അധിപതികളും; മൂർത്തിരൂപങ്ങൾ; ദേവന്മാരും അസുരന്മാരും; ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളും അവയുടെ വിഷയങ്ങളും; കൂടാതെ പഞ്ച മഹാഭൂതങ്ങൾ—ഇവയെല്ലാം (പ്രഭുവിന്റെ സർവ്വവ്യാപക ക്രമത്തിൽ) നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; അവിടെ ശിവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പരമ പതി।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It lists the main constituents of worldly experience—beings, rulers, devas/asuras, senses, sense-objects, and the five elements—implying that all of them belong to the field of bondage (pāśa) and are ultimately governed by Śiva, the supreme Pati, who alone grants liberation.
By naming the senses, their objects, and the elements, the verse points to the devotee’s need to withdraw attention from external multiplicity and fix it on Saguna Śiva through Linga-worship—so the same senses become instruments of devotion rather than bondage.
Sense-restraint (indriya-nigraha) paired with Shiva-upāsanā: apply Tripuṇḍra (bhasma), repeat the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and meditate on Śiva as the inner ruler beyond the five elements.