Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 31
सर्गविभागवर्णनम्
Classification of Creation: the Nine Sargas and the Streams of Beings
ततो मृतस्य देवस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः । घृणी ददौ पुनः प्राणान्ब्रह्मपुत्रो महेश्वरः । प्रहृष्टवदनो रुद्रः प्राणप्रत्यागमाद्विभोः । अभ्यभाषत विश्वेशो ब्रह्माणं परमं वचः
tato mṛtasya devasya brahmaṇaḥ parameṣṭhinaḥ | ghṛṇī dadau punaḥ prāṇānbrahmaputro maheśvaraḥ | prahṛṣṭavadano rudraḥ prāṇapratyāgamādvibhoḥ | abhyabhāṣata viśveśo brahmāṇaṃ paramaṃ vacaḥ
Kemudian, terhadap dewa Brahmā—Parameṣṭhin yang terbaring tidak bernyawa—Mahādeva, Tuhan Yang Agung yang juga disebut “Putera Brahmā” (Rudra), dengan belas ihsan memulihkan prāṇa sekali lagi. Wajah Rudra berseri gembira atas kembalinya nafas hayat kepada yang perkasa itu; lalu Viśveśvara, Penguasa alam semesta, menuturkan sabda yang luhur kepada Brahmā.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents Śiva as Pati (the Supreme Lord) whose grace restores life itself, showing that even exalted beings like Brahmā depend upon Śiva’s compassionate sovereignty—an essential Shaiva Siddhanta theme of divine anugraha (saving grace).
By calling Śiva “Viśveśa” and depicting him actively bestowing prāṇa, the verse supports Saguna worship—approaching Śiva as the personal Lord who intervenes, protects, and grants grace; the Liṅga is revered as that very living presence of Śiva in worship.
A practical takeaway is prāṇa-smarana with japa—remembering Śiva as the giver of prāṇa while repeating the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), along with simple Śiva-pūjā (water/abhisheka) as an expression of surrender to his sustaining grace.