Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 37

मनु-शतरूपा-प्रसूतिः तथा दक्षकन्याविवाहाः

Manu–Śatarūpā, Prasūti, and the Marriages of Dakṣa’s Daughters

Devanagari script

यो ऽसौ रुद्रात्मको बह्निब्रह्मणो मानसस्सुतः । स्वाहा तस्य प्रिया लेभे पुत्रांस्त्रीनमितौजसः । पावकः पवमानश्च शुचिरित्येष ते त्रयः । निर्मंथ्यः पवमानस्स्याद्वैद्युतः पावकस्स्मृतः

Transliteration

yo 'sau rudrātmako bahnibrahmaṇo mānasassutaḥ | svāhā tasya priyā lebhe putrāṃstrīnamitaujasaḥ | pāvakaḥ pavamānaśca śucirityeṣa te trayaḥ | nirmaṃthyaḥ pavamānassyādvaidyutaḥ pāvakassmṛtaḥ

Translation

రుద్రాత్మకుడైన ఆ అగ్ని బ్రహ్మ యొక్క మానసపుత్రుడు; అతడు స్వాహాను ప్రియగా పొందాడు. అతనికి అపార తేజస్సుగల మూడు కుమారులు జన్మించారు—పావకుడు, పవమానుడు, శుచి—ఇవే మూడు. వీరిలో మథనంతో పుట్టిన అగ్ని ‘పవమాన’మని, విద్యుత్తుతో పుట్టిన అగ్ని ‘పావక’మని స్మరించబడుతుంది.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• rudra-ātmakaḥ: Rudra-natured
• rudra-ātmakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; adjective ‘of the nature of Rudra’

• bahni-brahmaṇaḥ: of Bahni-Brahman
• bahni-brahmaṇaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahni (प्रातिपदिक) + brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī Ekavacana; Tatpuruṣa ‘of Agni-Brahman’ (i.e., Brahmā/Agni context)

• mānasaḥ: mind-born
• mānasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; adjective ‘mental, mind-born’

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• svāhā: Svāhā
• svāhā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana (name of Svāhā)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī Ekavacana

• priyā: beloved (wife)
• priyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; ‘beloved (wife)’

• lebhe: obtained/bore
• lebhe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa Ekavacana; Ātmanepada

• putrān: sons
• putrān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया) Bahuvacana

• trīn: three
• trīn: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā Bahuvacana; numeral adjective agreeing with putrān

• amita-ojasaḥ: of the immeasurably vigorous (one)
• amita-ojasaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha / Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amita (प्रातिपदिक) + ojas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī Ekavacana; Bahuvrīhi ‘whose vigor is immeasurable’ (epithet of the father)

• pāvakaḥ: Pāvaka (name)
• pāvakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• pavamānaḥ: Pavamāna (name)
• pavamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavamāna (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• śuciḥ: Śuci (name)
• śuciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• te: of him/their
• te: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī Ekavacana (enclitic); ‘of you/of him’ contextually ‘of him/these’

• trayaḥ: three (persons)
• trayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• nirmaṃthyaḥ: Nirmanthya (churned-out fire)
• nirmaṃthyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nir + manth (धातु) → nirmaṃthya (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; ‘produced by churning’ (name/epithet)

• pavamānaḥ: Pavamāna
• pavamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavamāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• syāt: is/should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa Ekavacana, Parasmaipada; ‘would be/is said to be’

• vaidyutaḥ: Vaidyuta (electric/lightning fire)
• vaidyutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana; ‘lightning-born’

• pāvakaḥ: Pāvaka
• pāvakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• smṛtaḥ: is called
• smṛtaḥ: Karma (कर्म/Predicate in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) → smṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past Passive Participle (kta), Puṃliṅga Prathamā Ekavacana; ‘is called/remembered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Rudra

Mantra Metadata

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Svāhā

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Mind-born (mānasa) emanation from Brahmā; elemental differentiation of fire into functional forms (churned, lightning, etc.).

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Shiva)
• Brahma
• Agni (Fire)
• Svaha
• Pavaka
• Pavamana
• Shuchi

FAQs

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

The verse frames Agni (fire) as Rudra-ātmaka—pervaded by Shiva’s power—showing that even ritual fire is not merely physical heat but a manifestation of divine Śakti that purifies and carries offerings toward the Supreme (Pati).

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

In Saguna Shiva worship, especially Linga-pūjā with homa, Agni functions as Rudra’s instrument: offerings made with the utterance of “Svāhā” are understood as being received through Shiva’s cosmic order, reinforcing that external ritual supports inner devotion to Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It supports homa/ārati discipline: kindle the sacred fire (nirmaṃthya) with purity, offer with the mantra ending in “Svāhā,” and contemplate Agni as Rudra-śakti—purifying bonds (pāśa) while the mind rests in Shiva as the indwelling Lord (Pati).