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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 56

अनुग्रह-स्वातन्त्र्य-प्रमाणविचारः | Inquiry into Pramāṇa, Divine Autonomy, and Grace

स्वभावो ऽपि हि भावानां भाविनो ऽर्थस्य कारणम् । न हि स्वभावो नश्यन्तमर्थं कर्तृषु साधयेत्

svabhāvo 'pi hi bhāvānāṃ bhāvino 'rthasya kāraṇam | na hi svabhāvo naśyantamarthaṃ kartṛṣu sādhayet

De fato, até a natureza inerente (svabhāva) dos seres pode ser causa em relação a um efeito que está por surgir. Contudo, o svabhāva não pode estabelecer como verdadeiramente realizado, por meio de agentes individuais, um efeito que perece ou é instável; o transitório não se torna realidade última apenas por “natureza” e pela noção de autoria.

svabhāvaḥnature/intrinsic disposition
svabhāvaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsvabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masculine), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Eka-vacana
apialso/even
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, particle (समुच्चय/अपि = also/even)
hiindeed/for
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya, particle (हेतु/निश्चय)
bhāvānāmof beings/things
bhāvānām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootbhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (masculine), Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Bahu-vacana
bhāvinaḥfuture/coming-to-be
bhāvinaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/adjectival)
TypeAdjective
Rootbhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Eka-vacana; adjective ‘that which is to be/that which becomes’ qualifying artha
arthasyaof the object/meaning
arthasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootartha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Eka-vacana
kāraṇamcause
kāraṇam:
Pradhāna (प्रधान/predicate complement)
TypeNoun
Rootkāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुṃsakaliṅga (neuter), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Eka-vacana; predicate nominative
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormParticle (emphasis/for)
svabhāvaḥnature
svabhāvaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsvabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana
naśyantamperishing
naśyantam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnaśyat (√naś, धातु)
FormŚatṛ-pratyaya present active participle (शतृ), accusative singular masculine (Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana) qualifying arthaṃ
arthamobject/thing
artham:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Rootartha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Eka-vacana
kartṛṣuin/among agents (doers)
kartṛṣu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootkartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Saptamī (Locative/7th), Bahu-vacana
sādhayetwould accomplish/establish
sādhayet:
Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
TypeVerb
Root√sādh (धातु)
FormVidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Eka-vacana

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā discourse to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Rudra

Significance: Undercuts fatalism: svabhāva may condition proximate causality, but cannot secure ultimate accomplishment in transient effects; points seekers beyond perishing results toward the imperishable good granted by Śiva’s grace.

S
Shiva

FAQs

It cautions that merely attributing life’s outcomes to “nature” (svabhāva) and personal doership cannot yield an ultimately stable truth; liberation requires turning to Shiva (Pati), the higher principle beyond changing effects.

Linga worship trains the mind to seek the unchanging ground (Shiva) behind transient appearances; the verse supports devotion to Saguna Shiva as a doorway to realizing the Nirguna, beyond perishing results and egoic agency.

Practice japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namah Shivaya) with Tripundra and Rudraksha while contemplating non-doership—offering actions and their fruits to Shiva rather than clinging to transient outcomes.