Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 45

सत्याः पुनस्तपश्चर्या — Satī’s Return to Austerity (Tapas) and Fearless Liṅga-Worship

Devanagari script

सा चैव संमता शक्तिर्ब्रह्मणो विश्वकर्मणः । प्रणम्य मातरं गौरीं ब्रह्माणं चानुपूर्वशः

Transliteration

sā caiva saṃmatā śaktirbrahmaṇo viśvakarmaṇaḥ | praṇamya mātaraṃ gaurīṃ brahmāṇaṃ cānupūrvaśaḥ

Translation

Ela é, de fato, a Śakti reconhecida de Brahmā, o Viśvakarman, arquiteto do universo. Tendo-se prostrado na devida ordem, primeiro reverenciou a Mãe Gaurī e depois Brahmā.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• संमता: approved, accepted
• संमता: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शक्तिः: power, Śakti
• शक्तिः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विश्वकर्मणः: of Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मणः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bowed’

• मातरम्: mother
• मातरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• गौरीम्: Gaurī
• गौरीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; मातरम् इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• ब्रह्माणम्: Brahmā
• ब्रह्माणम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• अनुपूर्वशः: in due order, successively
• अनुपूर्वशः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनुपूर्वशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb), ‘क्रमेण/यथाक्रमम्’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Gaurī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Brahma
• Vishvakarman

FAQs

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

It affirms that all creative capacity functions through Śakti, and that reverence to Gaurī—Śiva’s supreme Power—grounds the cosmos in the Shaiva view where Pati (Śiva) and Śakti are the ultimate source behind secondary creators like Brahmā.

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

By placing Gaurī first in the sequence of salutations, the verse points to Saguna worship where Śiva is approached together with Śakti; Linga worship in the Shiva Purana is repeatedly taught as incomplete without devotion to Śiva-Śakti unity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A simple takeaway is pūrvāṅga-vandana: begin worship by salutations in proper order—first to Gaurī (Śakti) and then to the divine hierarchy—before japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) or Linga-pūjā.