Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1

मन्त्रसिद्धिः, प्रतिबन्धनिरासः, श्रद्धा-नियमाः

Mantra Efficacy, Removal of Obstacles, and the Role of Faith/Discipline

Devanagari script

उपमन्युरुवाच । एतत्ते कथितं कृष्ण कर्मेहामुत्र सिद्धिदम् । क्रियातपोजपध्यानसमुच्चयमयं परम्

Transliteration

upamanyuruvāca | etatte kathitaṃ kṛṣṇa karmehāmutra siddhidam | kriyātapojapadhyānasamuccayamayaṃ param

Translation

Upamanyu berkata: “Wahai Kṛṣṇa, demikianlah telah aku jelaskan kepadamu disiplin tertinggi—yang merupakan gabungan amalan upacara suci, tapa, japa (ulangan mantra), dan dhyāna (meditasi)—yang menganugerahkan kejayaan di dunia ini dan juga di alam sana.”

Word by Word

• upamanyuḥ: Upamanyu
• upamanyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upamanyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (object-content) / Vākyārtha (वाक्यार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• kathitam: told, narrated
• kathitam: Pradhāna-nāmabhāva (predicate/apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kathita (प्रातिपदिक; √kath + क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle; Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; agrees with ‘etat’

• kṛṣṇa: O Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th), Singular

• karma: (this) practice/rite
• karma: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; subject of implied ‘(is)’

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देश/कालवाचक) ‘here (in this world)’

• amutra: there (hereafter)
• amutra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: amutra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देश/कालवाचक) ‘there (in the other world)’

• siddhi-dam: granting success
• siddhi-dam: Viśeṣaṇa of kartā (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + da (धातु/प्रातिपदिक ‘giver’)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: siddhiṃ dadāti iti; qualifies ‘karma’

• kriyā-tapaḥ-japa-dhyāna-samuccaya-mayam: consisting of the combined set of ritual, austerity, japa, and meditation
• kriyā-tapaḥ-japa-dhyāna-samuccaya-mayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक) + tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + japa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + samuccaya (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; multi-member determinative: ‘consisting of a collection (samuccaya) of ritual action, austerity, repetition, and meditation’; qualifies implied ‘etat/karma’

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular; superlative sense ‘supreme’; qualifies the preceding neuter subject

Speaker

Upamanyu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Didactic transition: Upamanyu summarizes a ‘supreme discipline’ (parama karma) integrating kriyā, tapas, japa, and dhyāna for success here and hereafter.

Significance: Positions Śaiva sādhanā as both worldly and transcendent: iha (well-being, steadiness) and amutra (higher states culminating in Śiva’s grace).

Characters & Entities

• Krishna

FAQs

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

It presents the Shaiva ideal of a complete sādhana: outer observance (kriyā) and inner transformation (japa and dhyāna), strengthened by tapas, leading to well-being here and spiritual attainment beyond.

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

The verse supports Saguna Shiva worship through kriyā—such as Linga-pūjā—while affirming that true fruition arises when ritual is joined with mantra-japa and meditation directed to Śiva as Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A combined regimen: regular Shiva-ritual worship (kriyā), disciplined austerity (tapas), sustained mantra-japa (commonly the Panchākṣarī), and steady dhyāna on Śiva for integrated progress.