Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15

कौशिकी-गौरी तथा शार्दूलरूप-निशाचरस्य पूर्वकर्मवर्णनम् | Kauśikī-Gaurī and Brahmā’s account of the tiger-formed niśācara

Devanagari script

त्वमेव विविधा शक्तिः भवानामथ वा स्वयम् । अशक्तः कर्मकरणे कर्ता वा किं करिष्यति

Transliteration

tvameva vividhā śaktiḥ bhavānāmatha vā svayam | aśaktaḥ karmakaraṇe kartā vā kiṃ kariṣyati

Translation

ତୁମେଇ ବିବିଧ ଶକ୍ତି—ସମସ୍ତ ଭୂତଜୀବଙ୍କର ଶକ୍ତି ମଧ୍ୟ, ଏବଂ ସ୍ୱୟଂ ଶକ୍ତିସ୍ୱରୂପ ମଧ୍ୟ। ସେଇ ଶକ୍ତି ବିନା କର୍ମକରଣେ କର୍ତ୍ତା କ’ଣ ସାଧିପାରିବ?

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय

• विविधा: various
• विविधा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति; विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• शक्तिः: power/energy
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (fem. nom. sg.)

• भवानाम्: of you (honorific)/of the lord
• भवानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-शब्द, बहुवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive)

• अथ: then/now/and
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; अनुक्रम/विकल्पार्थ

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मार्थक (reflexive adverb)

• अशक्तः: incapable
• अशक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति; विशेषण (masc. nom. sg.)

• कर्मकरणे: in the performance of action
• कर्मकरणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कर्मणः करणम्)

• कर्त्ता: doer/agent
• कर्त्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (masc. nom. sg.)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that all agency ultimately belongs to Shiva through His Shakti; the individual soul’s sense of independent doership is limited and depends on divine power, pointing toward surrender and liberation (moksha).

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

Linga-worship centers on recognizing Shiva as the supreme Pati and the ground of all power; offering to the Linga is a practice of yielding egoic doership and acknowledging that action bears fruit only through Shiva-Shakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice japa of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with the bhāva that Shiva alone empowers all actions; before rituals like Tripundra or Rudraksha-dhāraṇa, mentally dedicate the act to Shiva to dissolve false doership.