Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28

शिवज्ञान-प्रश्नः तथा सृष्टौ शिवस्य स्वयमाविर्भावः

Inquiry into Śiva-knowledge and Śiva’s self-manifestation in creation

Devanagari script

शक्तिभिर्मूर्तिभिश्चांगैर्ग्रहैर्देवैश्च संवृतम् । अष्टबाहुं चतुर्वक्त्रमर्धनारीकमद्भुतम्

Transliteration

śaktibhirmūrtibhiścāṃgairgrahairdevaiśca saṃvṛtam | aṣṭabāhuṃ caturvaktramardhanārīkamadbhutam

Translation

Baginda dikelilingi oleh Śakti-Śakti, rupa-rupa penjelmaan, anggota-anggota, planet-planet (graha) dan para dewa—Tuhan yang menakjubkan, berlapan tangan dan berempat wajah, menampakkan wujud Ardhanārīśvara yang ajaib (separuh lelaki, separuh perempuan).

Word by Word

• शक्तिभिः: with powers/energies
• शक्तिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Instrumental plural)

• मूर्तिभिः: with forms/manifestations
• मूर्तिभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अङ्गैः: with limbs
• अङ्गैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Instrumental plural)

• ग्रहैः: with planets/seizers
• ग्रहैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (Instrumental plural)

• देवैः: with gods
• देवैः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (Instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• संवृतम्: surrounded/encompassed
• संवृतम्: कर्म-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (agreeing with implied svarūpam/ākāram)

• अष्टबाहुम्: eight-armed
• अष्टबाहुम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (‘eight’ + ‘arms’); द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; विशेषण

• चतुर्वक्त्रम्: four-faced
• चतुर्वक्त्रम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (‘four’ + ‘faces’); द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; विशेषण

• अर्धनारीकम्: half-female (ardhanārī)
• अर्धनारीकम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + नारी (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘half’ + ‘woman’ + adjectival suffix); द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; विशेषण

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful/marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; विशेषण

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Ardhanārīśvara

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not tied to a Jyotirliṅga site; it is a cosmic iconography passage where Śiva is shown as inseparable from Śakti and surrounded by grahas and devas.

Significance: Meditation on Ardhanārīśvara supports integration of Śiva-Śakti devotion and is traditionally held to harmonize worldly and spiritual aims (aiśvarya with mokṣa).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Cosmic mandala imagery: grahas, devas, śaktis encircling the deity—suggestive of a universal theophany/maṇḍala rather than a dated event.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti
• Devas
• Grahas
• Ardhanarishvara

FAQs

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

It presents Saguna Shiva as the all-inclusive Pati, in whom Śakti and all cosmic functions (devas and grahas) are harmonized—teaching that liberation arises from realizing the unity of Consciousness (Shiva) and Power (Shakti).

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

The verse describes Shiva’s manifest, worship-worthy form (Saguna), especially Ardhanārīśvara. Linga-worship is the same truth in symbolic form: the One Lord who contains and governs all powers and beings.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Ardhanārīśvara while repeating the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and perform Tripuṇḍra bhasma application as a reminder of Shiva’s mastery over the cosmos and the balance of Shiva–Shakti within.