Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 30

शिवज्ञान-प्रश्नः तथा सृष्टौ शिवस्य स्वयमाविर्भावः

Inquiry into Śiva-knowledge and Śiva’s self-manifestation in creation

Devanagari script

पञ्चभूतानि शेषाणि तन्मयं च चराचरम् । एवमुक्त्वा नमश्चक्रुस्तस्मै चार्घ्यं प्रदाय वै

Transliteration

pañcabhūtāni śeṣāṇi tanmayaṃ ca carācaram | evamuktvā namaścakrustasmai cārghyaṃ pradāya vai

Translation

“ശേഷമുള്ള പഞ്ചഭൂതങ്ങളും സർവ്വ ചരാചരവും അവന്റെ തന്നെ സ്വരൂപമയമാണ്”—എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞു അവർ അവനോട് നമസ്കരിച്ചു വിധിപൂർവ്വം അർഘ്യം അർപ്പിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• pañca-bhūtāni: the five elements
• pañca-bhūtāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (plural); द्विगुसमासः (numeral compound)

• śeṣāṇi: the remaining (ones)
• śeṣāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), बहुवचन (plural)

• tan-mayam: consisting of that
• tan-mayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular); तत्पुरुषसमासः (genitive sense: 'of that/consisting of that')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• cara-acaram: the moving and the unmoving (all beings)
• cara-acaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cara (प्रातिपदिक) + acara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (copulative: moving + unmoving)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus')

• uktvā: having said
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकालः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), 'having said'

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (singular); अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः (fixed exclamation)

• cakruḥ: they made/did
• cakruḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pronoun), चतुर्थी (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• arghyam: an offering (arghya)
• arghyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arghya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• pradāya: having offered
• pradāya: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकालः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), 'having given/offered'

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis/indeed)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; it articulates a Siddhānta-friendly theism: all bhūtas and all beings (cara-acara) are ‘tanmaya’—dependent on and pervaded by the Lord—followed by formal worship (arghya).

Significance: Teaches that correct worship includes recognizing Śiva as the immanent ground of the elements; offering arghya becomes a gesture of surrender of the cosmos back to its Lord.

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches Shiva as Pati—the inner ground of the pañcabhūtas and all beings—so devotion matures into right vision: seeing the world as sustained by Him and responding with reverence rather than ego.

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

By affirming that all creation is ‘of His nature,’ the verse supports Saguna worship (such as the Shiva-Linga) as a valid doorway: offering arghya to the Linga is honoring the Lord who pervades the elements and all embodied life.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer arghya (clean water with devotion) to Shiva/Linga and internally contemplate that the five elements and all creatures are pervaded by Shiva; conclude with namaskāra and the remembrance of ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya.’