Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6
योगाचार्यरूपेण शर्वावताराः (Śarva’s manifestations as Yoga-Teachers)
एते वाराह कल्पे ऽस्मिन्सप्तमस्यांतरो मनोः । अष्टाविंशतिसंख्याता योगाचार्या युगक्रमात्
ete vārāha kalpe 'sminsaptamasyāṃtaro manoḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatisaṃkhyātā yogācāryā yugakramāt
Neste Vārāha Kalpa, durante o Manvantara do sétimo Manu, estes mestres de Yoga—vinte e oito ao todo—surgem em sucessão devida, conforme o curso das yugas.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga passage; it frames the Vārāha-kalpa and the 7th Manu’s manvantara as the epoch in which Śiva’s yogic transmission unfolds through 28 successive yogācāryas.
Significance: Establishes scriptural authority for guru-paramparā and yuga-wise transmission of Śaiva yoga; supports the Siddhānta emphasis that liberating knowledge descends by Śiva’s grace through teachers.
Cosmic Event: Vārāha-kalpa; Vaivasvata (7th) Manu’s manvantara; yuga-krama succession
FAQs
It teaches that authentic yoga is a divinely maintained lineage across cosmic time, appearing in each yuga to guide bound souls (paśu) beyond bondage (pāśa) toward union with the Supreme Lord (Pati), Shiva.
By affirming an ordered tradition of yoga-teachers, the verse supports disciplined practice under guidance—often anchored in Saguna Shiva worship such as Linga-upasana, mantra-japa, and purity observances—leading the seeker toward Shiva-realization.
The practical takeaway is to follow a genuine ācārya-guided path of Shiva-yoga—commonly including mantra-japa (especially Shiva mantras), meditation, and regulated conduct—rather than isolated self-invention.