Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 33

योगप्रकारनिर्णयः

Classification and Definition of Yoga

Devanagari script

जपं ध्यानं विनागर्भः सगर्भस्तत्समन्वयात् । अगर्भाद्गर्भसंयुक्तः प्राणायामःशताधिकः

Transliteration

japaṃ dhyānaṃ vināgarbhaḥ sagarbhastatsamanvayāt | agarbhādgarbhasaṃyuktaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥśatādhikaḥ

Translation

ജപവും ധ്യാനവും അന്തർആധാരം (ബീജമന്ത്രം) ഇല്ലാതെ ചെയ്താൽ ‘അഗർഭം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു; അതേ ആധാരത്തോടു ചേർന്നാൽ ‘സഗർഭം’ ആകുന്നു. അഗർഭത്തേക്കാൾ ബീജസഹിത പ്രാണായാമം നൂറിലധികം മടങ്ങ് ശ്രേഷ്ഠം.

Word by Word

• japam: japa (repetition)
• japam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/absence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable (उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय), ‘without’; governs instrumental/accusative in usage

• agarbhaḥ: (prāṇāyāma) without garbha
• agarbhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• sagarbhaḥ: (prāṇāyāma) with garbha
• sagarbhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa-garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tat-samanvayāt: from that conjunction/connection
• tat-samanvayāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: tasya samanvayaḥ (its conjunction/connection)

• agarbhāt: from the agarbha (type)
• agarbhāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• garbha-saṃyuktaḥ: combined with garbha
• garbha-saṃyuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; tatpuruṣa: garbheṇa saṃyuktaḥ (joined with garbha)

• prāṇāyāmaḥ: prāṇāyāma
• prāṇāyāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + āyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• śata-adhikaḥ: more than a hundred
• śata-adhikaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: śatena adhikaḥ (exceeding by a hundred / more than a hundred)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teaching to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches a graded Shaiva yogic discipline: practices become far more transformative when they are anchored in a “seed”—a stable inner support such as Shiva-mantra, Shiva-tattva contemplation, or focused awareness—rather than being mechanically performed.

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

“Sa-garbha” practice aligns japa, dhyāna, and prāṇāyāma with a concrete support—such as Linga-dhyāna, Shiva’s form, or the Panchākṣarī—so the mind rests in Saguna Shiva and is led toward realization of Shiva as Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Combine prāṇāyāma with mantra-japa and Shiva-focused meditation (e.g., mentally repeating Om Namaḥ Śivāya during regulated breathing), making the practice “with seed” rather than merely breath-control.