Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 19

Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)

Devanagari script

कालावच्छेदयुक्तानां गुरूणामप्यसौ गुरुः । सर्वेषामेव सर्वेशः कालावच्छेदवर्जितः

Transliteration

kālāvacchedayuktānāṃ gurūṇāmapyasau guruḥ | sarveṣāmeva sarveśaḥ kālāvacchedavarjitaḥ

Translation

काळाच्या विभागांनी मर्यादित असलेल्या गुरूंचाही तो गुरु आहे; तो सर्वांचा सर्वेश्वर असून स्वतः काळमर्यादेपासून पूर्णतः मुक्त आहे.

Word by Word

• kāla-avaccheda-yuktānām: of those endowed with temporal limitation
• kāla-avaccheda-yuktānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + avaccheda (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन); yukta = past passive participle (क्त): ‘endowed/connected’; compound: ‘endowed with temporal limitation’

• gurūṇām: of the teachers
• gurūṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• api: even / also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अपि—समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक)

• asau: that one (he)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• guruḥ: teacher
• guruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुंसक), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन) used collectively

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/emphasis (अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय)

• sarva-īśaḥ: Lord of all
• sarva-īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषाम् ईशः

• kāla-avaccheda-varjitaḥ: free from temporal limitation
• kāla-avaccheda-varjitaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + avaccheda (प्रातिपदिक) + varjita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vṛj/varj (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); varjita = past passive participle (क्त): ‘devoid of’; compound: ‘devoid of temporal limitation’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kāla-avaccheda (time-delimitation) contrasted with the timeless Lord

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord and original Guru—who is not bound by time, while all embodied beings and even exalted teachers function within temporal limitation; liberation comes by taking refuge in the timeless Lord.

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

The Linga is revered as the sign of the timeless, formless Reality; worshiping Saguna Shiva through the Linga leads the devotee from time-bound understanding to recognition of Shiva as Kāla-atikrānta (beyond time).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Contemplate Shiva as the inner Guru beyond time while repeating the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); support this with daily Shiva-puja, Tripundra (bhasma) and Rudraksha as aids to steady, time-transcending awareness.