Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

क्षीरार्णवसहस्रं च पीयूषार्णवमेव वा । दध्यादेरर्णवांश्चैव घृतोदार्णवमेव च

Transliteration

kṣīrārṇavasahasraṃ ca pīyūṣārṇavameva vā | dadhyāderarṇavāṃścaiva ghṛtodārṇavameva ca

Translation

పాల సముద్రాలు వెయ్యి ఉన్నా, లేదా అమృత సముద్రమే ఉన్నా; పెరుగు మొదలైన వాటి సముద్రాలైనా, నెయ్యి యొక్క విస్తార సముద్రమైనా।

Word by Word

• क्षीरार्णवसहस्रम्: a thousand (oceans) of milk
• क्षीरार्णवसहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra + arṇava + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘sahasra’ (thousand) of ‘kṣīra-arṇava’ (ocean of milk)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• पीयूषार्णवम्: ocean of nectar
• पीयूषार्णवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīyūṣa + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘ocean of nectar’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; disjunctive particle (विकल्प)

• दध्यादेः: of curd and the like
• दध्यादेः: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhi + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) (ādi as neuter), Pañcamī/Ṣaṣṭhī Ekavacana (5th/6th; ablative/genitive) in form -eḥ; here genitive sense ‘of curd etc.’ (दधि-आदि-समूहस्य)

• अर्णवान्: oceans
• अर्णवान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• घृतोदार्णवम्: ocean of ghee
• घृतोदार्णवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta + uda + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘ocean’ of ‘ghṛta-uda’ (ghee-water / clarified-butter liquid)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It emphasizes that even unimaginably vast material plenty—symbolized by oceans of milk, nectar, curd, and ghee—remains finite and cannot equal the supreme refuge of Lord Shiva (Pati), who grants liberation beyond worldly measures.

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

Milk, ghee, and similar substances are classic offerings in Śiva-liṅga worship; the verse highlights that while such offerings are auspicious in Saguna devotion, their true value is fulfilled when joined to bhakti and surrender to Shiva rather than mere display of abundance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Offer simple abhiṣeka with milk or ghee with the Panchakshara mantra ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), focusing on inner devotion and detachment—valuing bhakti over the magnitude of external offerings.