Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

प्रणवविभागः—वेदस्वरूपत्वं लिङ्गे च प्रतिष्ठा

The Division of Oṃ, Its Vedic Forms, and Its Placement in the Liṅga

Devanagari script

तदूर्ध्वमुन्मना लोकात्सोमलोकमलौकिकम् । सोमस्सहोमया यत्र नित्यं निवसतीश्वरः

Transliteration

tadūrdhvamunmanā lokātsomalokamalaukikam | somassahomayā yatra nityaṃ nivasatīśvaraḥ

Translation

ഉന്മനാ-ലോകത്തിന് മീതെ അലൗകികമായ സോമ-ലോകം ഉണ്ട്; അവിടെ സോമൻ ഹോമയോടുകൂടെ നിത്യമായി വസിക്കുന്നു, അവിടെയേ ഈശ്വരനും സദാ വസിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तत्-ऊर्ध्वम्: above that / thereafter upwards
• तत्-ऊर्ध्वम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Directional adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग: 'ततः ऊर्ध्वम्' (thereafter/upwards)

• उन्मना: with uplifted/abstracted mind
• उन्मना: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उन्मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (one whose mind is uplifted/abstracted)

• लोकात्: from the world
• लोकात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• सोम-लोकम्: the Soma-world
• सोम-लोकम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य (Goal/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: सोमस्य लोकः

• अलौकिकम्: otherworldly / non-worldly
• अलौकिकम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सोमलोकम् इति विशेषण

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: कर्ता/विषय (Topic; subject of clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: सम्बन्ध (Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with)

• उमया: with Umā
• उमया: सहकारक (Accompaniment; with saha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण-सूचक (Locative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• निवसति: dwells
• निवसति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Somanātha

Sthala Purana: Soma (the Moon) is restored from decline/curse through worship of Śiva; the Lord becomes manifest as Somānātha, establishing the sanctity of Soma-related loka/tattva symbolism.

Significance: Removes doṣas associated with mind/moon (manas), grants steadiness and devotion; archetype of renewal through Śiva’s grace.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Soma
• Homā

FAQs

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

It points to a Shaiva yogic hierarchy of realms: beyond the mind (Unmanā) lies a supramundane sphere (Soma-loka) where the Lord abides eternally, indicating that liberation culminates in dwelling in Shiva’s presence beyond ordinary cosmology.

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

While the verse speaks of transcendent abodes, it supports Saguna worship as a means: devotion to Shiva (often through Linga-upāsanā) purifies the pashu (bound soul) and leads the seeker beyond mental limitation toward the Lord who is both immanent (worshipped) and transcendent (beyond lokas).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Unmanā-dhyāna—meditation that stills thought and fixes awareness on Īśvara—supported by japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and Shaiva purity disciplines such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, as aids for mind-transcendence.