Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 37

योगप्रकारनिर्णयः

Classification and Definition of Yoga

Devanagari script

व्यानो व्यानशयत्यंगान्यशेषाणि विवर्धयन् । उद्वेजयति मर्माणीत्युदानो वायुरीरितः

Transliteration

vyāno vyānaśayatyaṃgānyaśeṣāṇi vivardhayan | udvejayati marmāṇītyudāno vāyurīritaḥ

Translation

വ്യാനൻ എന്ന പ്രാണവായു ശേഷമില്ലാതെ എല്ലാ അവയവങ്ങളിലും വ്യാപിച്ച് അവയെ നിയന്ത്രിച്ച് പോഷിപ്പിക്കുകയും ബലപ്പെടുത്തുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. മർമ്മസ്ഥാനങ്ങളെ ഉത്തേജിപ്പിച്ച് ജാഗ്രതമാക്കുന്ന പ്രാണവായുവിനെ ഉദാനൻ എന്നു പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• व्यानः: vyāna (a vital air)
• व्यानः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• व्यान-शयति: causes to pervade / spreads through
• व्यान-शयति: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + शी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद: व्यान- (अर्थे: ‘pervading/throughout’)

• अङ्गानि: limbs
• अङ्गानि: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• अशेषाणि: all, without remainder
• अशेषाणि: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural; (अङ्गानि इति विशेषणम्)

• विवर्धयन्: increasing, nourishing
• विवर्धयन्: कर्ता (Agent-participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative Singular; उपसर्ग: वि-

• उद्वेजयति: agitates / stimulates
• उद्वेजयति: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-वि-जि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; णिच् (causative)

• मर्माणि: vital points (marmas)
• मर्माणि: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन — Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — इत्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• उदानः: udāna (a vital air)
• उदानः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• वायुः: air, vital wind
• वायुः: कर्ता (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• ईरितः: is said / is declared
• ईरितः: विधेय (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (भूतकृदन्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It links embodied life to subtle discipline: by understanding how prāṇa functions (Vyāna sustaining the limbs and Udāna activating vital centers), the seeker refines the body-mind as an instrument for Shiva-realization, moving from bondage (pāśa) toward liberation through right yogic order.

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

In Shaiva practice, external worship of the Liṅga is supported by inner worship: regulated prāṇa steadies attention and purifies the nāḍīs, making japa and dhyāna on Saguna Shiva (as the Liṅga) more concentrated and sattvic, which in turn prepares the aspirant for deeper contemplation of Shiva as Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is disciplined prāṇāyāma with mantra-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to harmonize the vāyus; this may be paired with traditional Shaiva supports like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa to reinforce purity, steadiness, and devotion.