Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 34

त्रिमूर्तिसाम्यं तथा महेश्वरस्य परमार्थकारणत्वम् | Equality of the Trimūrti and Maheśvara as the Supreme Cause

Devanagari script

तेजो दशगुणेनैव वायुना बहिरावृतम् । आकाशेनावृतो वायुः खं च भूतादिनावृतम्

Transliteration

tejo daśaguṇenaiva vāyunā bahirāvṛtam | ākāśenāvṛto vāyuḥ khaṃ ca bhūtādināvṛtam

Translation

เตชัสคือไฟถูกห่อหุ้มภายนอกด้วยวายุเป็นสิบเท่า; วายุถูกห่อหุ้มด้วยอากาศธาตุ (อากาศ/อีเธอร์); และอากาศนั้นเองก็ถูกห่อหุ้มด้วยหลักตัตตวะที่เริ่มด้วยภูตาทิ (ธาตุปฐม) อีกชั้นหนึ่ง।

Word by Word

• तेजः: fire/energy (tejas)
• तेजः: कर्ता/कर्म (Contextual subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• दश-गुणेन: by tenfold (measure)
• दश-गुणेन: करण (Karaṇa/Measure-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वायुना: by wind
• वायुना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• बहिः: outside
• बहिः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘outside’)

• आवृतम्: is covered
• आवृतम्: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आवृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तेजः इति पदस्य विधेयम्

• आकाशेन: by ether/space
• आकाशेन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• आवृतः: is covered
• आवृतः: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आवृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; वायुः इति पदस्य विधेयम्

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• खम्: space (kha)
• खम्: कर्म (Karman/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भूत-आदिना: by bhūtādi (the primordial elements/incipient principle)
• भूत-आदिना: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (पञ्चमी/तृतीया-प्रायः: ‘भूतादि’ = ‘भूत-प्रकृत्या आरभ्य’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• आवृतम्: is covered
• आवृतम्: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आवृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; खम् इति पदस्य विधेयम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: progression from gross to subtle coverings: tejas→vāyu→ākāśa→bhūtādi (source-principle)

FAQs

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

It teaches viveka (discernment) by mapping how the gross elements are successively encompassed by subtler principles, guiding the seeker to look beyond material layers toward Pati (Shiva), the transcendent ground of all tattvas.

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

The Linga symbolizes Shiva as the substratum beyond the elemental sheathes; contemplating this hierarchy supports Saguna worship as a doorway to realizing Shiva as the ultimate cause surpassing fire, air, and ether.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tattva-dhyana: meditate from gross to subtle (fire → air → ether → their causal principle), while internally repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” to steady awareness in Shiva rather than in changing elements.