Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 49

सर्‍वेश्वर-परमकारण-निरूपणम् / The Supreme Lord as the Uncaused Cause

Devanagari script

स एव भवतः श्रेयः सोपायं कथयिष्यति । ततो वाराणसी पुण्या पुरी परमशोभना

Transliteration

sa eva bhavataḥ śreyaḥ sopāyaṃ kathayiṣyati | tato vārāṇasī puṇyā purī paramaśobhanā

Translation

Dia sahaja akan menyatakan kepadamu apa yang benar-benar menjadi kebaikan tertinggi bagimu, beserta jalan untuk mencapainya. Sesudah itu dihuraikan Vārāṇasī—kota suci yang amat berseri dan indah.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• भवतः: of you (honorific)
• भवतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• श्रेयः: the highest good / welfare
• श्रेयः: Pradhana/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; गुणवाचक नाम

• स-उपायम्: together with the means (method)
• स-उपायम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘उपायेन सह’/‘उपाययुक्तम्’ (with the means)

• कथयिष्यति: will explain/tell
• कथयिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु) (causative/णिजन्त: कथय-)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त-प्रयोग (causative stem)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् इत्यर्थे (ablatival adverb: thereafter/from that)

• वाराणसी: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; नगरनाम

• पुण्या: holy
• पुण्या: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वाराणसी)

• पुरी: city
• पुरी: Apposition/Predicate (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परम-शोभना: supremely beautiful
• परम-शोभना: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + शोभन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय—‘परमा शोभना’ (superlatively beautiful)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Viśvanātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised as Śiva’s own city where He grants the highest good (śreyas) and teaches the upāya; the kṣetra is famed for bestowing liberation through Śiva’s abiding presence as Viśveśvara.

Significance: Darśana of Viśvanātha and residence/antyeṣṭi in Kāśī are traditionally held to confer mokṣa by Śiva’s special grace (kṣetra-anugraha).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Varanasi (Kashi)

FAQs

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

The verse frames liberation-oriented teaching: the true śreyas (highest good) must be taught along with its upāya (effective means), and it introduces Kashi as a uniquely sanctifying Shaiva setting for such instruction and attainment.

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

By pointing toward Vārāṇasī, it implicitly connects śreyas to Saguna Shiva worship in a premier Shaiva kṣetra, where devotion to Shiva—often centered on the Linga—becomes a practical upāya supporting grace (anugraha) and release from bondage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse itself emphasizes receiving the right upāya; in the Kashi context this commonly means Shaiva sādhana such as japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), temple/Linga worship, and disciplined pilgrimage observances aligned to Shiva’s grace.