Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 16

शक्त्यादिसृष्टिनिरूपणम् / The Account of Creation Beginning with Śakti

Devanagari script

परमित्यायुषो नाम ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । तत्पराख्यं तदर्धं च परार्धमभिधीयते

Transliteration

paramityāyuṣo nāma brahmaṇo 'vyaktajanmanaḥ | tatparākhyaṃ tadardhaṃ ca parārdhamabhidhīyate

Translation

അവ്യക്തജന്മനായ ബ്രഹ്മാവിന്റെ ആയുസ്സിന് ‘പരമ’ എന്ന നാമം. ആ കാലമാനത്തിലെ ‘പരാ’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഭാഗവും അതിന്റെ അർദ്ധഭാഗവും ‘പരാർധ’മെന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• परम्: ‘Param’
• परम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (नाम/Nominative), एकवचन; नामरूपेण प्रयुक्तम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यादि-निर्देशक (quotative particle)

• आयुषः: of lifespan
• आयुषः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• नाम: is called
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (naming particle)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अव्यक्त-जन्मनः: of him whose birth is unmanifest
• अव्यक्त-जन्मनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अव्यक्तं जन्म यस्य) विशेषण (ब्रह्मणः)

• तत्-पर-आख्यम्: that which is named ‘Para’
• तत्-पर-आख्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परम् आख्यं = पराख्यम्; तत्-सम्बद्धम्)

• तत्-अर्धम्: its half
• तत्-अर्धम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य अर्धम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पर-अर्धम्: the ‘para-ardha’ (supreme half)
• पर-अर्धम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परं अर्धम्)

• अभिधीयते: is called/denoted
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-time reckoning (Brahmā’s lifespan; parārdha units)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It frames even Brahmā’s vast lifespan as a named, measurable unit, implying that all created time is finite—while Shiva (Pati) transcends time and the unmanifest source itself.

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

By contrasting measurable cosmic ages with the unmanifest origin, it supports Linga-worship as contemplation of Shiva’s timeless reality, with the Linga representing the transcendent ground beyond Brahmā’s temporal cycles.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as Kāla-tīta (beyond time) while repeating the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” using the awareness that even Brahmā’s ‘Parārdha’ is within time, but Shiva grants liberation beyond it.