Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 32

शिवस्य परापरब्रह्मस्वरूपनिर्णयः / Determination of Śiva as Higher and Lower Brahman

Devanagari script

केचिच्चिन्तामयं प्राहुश्चिन्तया रहितं परे । ज्ञानात्मकं परे प्राहुर्विज्ञानमिति चापरे

Transliteration

keciccintāmayaṃ prāhuścintayā rahitaṃ pare | jñānātmakaṃ pare prāhurvijñānamiti cāpare

Translation

Одни провозглашают Высшую Реальность природой мысли, другие говорят, что Она свободна от мысли. Одни описывают Её как чистое знание, другие называют это виджняной (vijñāna) — различающим, осуществлённым знанием.

Word by Word

• kecit: some
• kecit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक सर्वनाम — “some”

• cintā-mayam: made of thought
• cintā-mayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः — “consisting of thought”

• prāhuḥ: say
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• cintayā: by thought
• cintayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — “by/with thought”

• rahitam: devoid (of it)
• rahitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — “devoid of”

• pare: others
• pare: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — “others”

• jñāna-ātmakam: of the nature of knowledge
• jñāna-ātmakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) — “of the nature of knowledge”

• pare: others
• pare: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — “others”

• prāhuḥ: say
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• vijñānam: discernment (vijñāna)
• vijñānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi-jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — “discernment/special knowledge”

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-कारक अव्यय (quotative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• apare: others
• apare: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — “others”

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It shows that seekers describe Shiva (Pati) according to their level of realization—sometimes as the object of contemplation, sometimes as the Reality beyond all mental constructions, and finally as direct, discriminative realization (vijñāna) that culminates in liberation.

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

Linga worship supports contemplation (cintā) by giving the mind a sacred focus; as devotion and insight mature, the worshipper recognizes Shiva as both manifest (saguna, approached through the Linga) and ultimately beyond thought (nirguna), known as pure awareness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Begin with focused japa and dhyāna—especially the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and let contemplation refine into steady inner clarity, where knowledge becomes lived realization (vijñāna).