Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1

अर्धनारीश्वरप्रादुर्भावः

Manifestation of Ardhanārīśvara and the Impulse for Procreative Creation

Devanagari script

वायुरुवाच । यदा पुनः प्रजाः सृष्टा न व्यवर्धन्त वेधसः । तदा मैथुनजां सृष्टिं ब्रह्मा कर्तुममन्यत

Transliteration

vāyuruvāca | yadā punaḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭā na vyavardhanta vedhasaḥ | tadā maithunajāṃ sṛṣṭiṃ brahmā kartumamanyata

Translation

Vāyu berkata: Apabila makhluk yang dicipta oleh Sang Pengatur (Vedhas, yakni Brahmā) masih belum berkembang biak, maka Brahmā pun bertekad untuk melakukan penciptaan yang lahir daripada persetubuhan (maithuna), agar keturunan bertambah menurut tertib kosmik.

Word by Word

• वायुः: Vāyu
• वायुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

• प्रजाः: creatures, subjects
• प्रजाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सृष्टाः: created
• सृष्टाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; प्रजाः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• व्यवर्धन्त: grew, increased
• व्यवर्धन्त: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: वि+अव

• वेधसः: of the Creator (Brahmā)
• वेधसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• मैथुनजाम्: born of sexual union
• मैथुनजाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैथुन-जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सृष्टिम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; समास: मैथुनात् जा इति (तत्पुरुष)

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do, to make
• कर्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), कर्तुम्; क्रियार्थक-अव्ययवत्

• अमन्यत: thought, considered
• अमन्यत: Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Vāyu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu
• Brahmā

FAQs

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

It frames worldly multiplication as a deliberate stage in cosmic order: beings expand through procreation, yet Shaiva Siddhanta reads this as the field where the bound soul (paśu) experiences limitation (pāśa) and eventually turns toward the Lord (Pati), Shiva, for liberation.

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

By highlighting the insufficiency of mere worldly increase, the narrative implicitly points beyond creation to its ground—Shiva as Pati. Linga-worship centers the devotee on the transcendent source who supports creation while remaining beyond it.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is vairāgya (detachment) alongside regular Shiva-upāsanā—japa of the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and disciplined worship, remembering that procreation and prosperity are secondary to God-realization.