Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41

दक्षयज्ञदर्शनम् — The Vision of Dakṣa’s Great Sacrifice

and the Onset of Vīrabhadra’s Terror

Devanagari script

विक्षिप्य विक्षिप्य जलस्य मध्ये कालांबुदाभाः प्रमथा निनेदुः । उद्वर्तितद्वारकपाटकुड्यं विध्वस्तशालावलभीगवाक्षम्

Transliteration

vikṣipya vikṣipya jalasya madhye kālāṃbudābhāḥ pramathā nineduḥ | udvartitadvārakapāṭakuḍyaṃ vidhvastaśālāvalabhīgavākṣam

Translation

เหล่าประมถะผู้มืดดุจเมฆครึ้ม โยนมันลงกลางน้ำครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า พร้อมคำรามกึกก้อง ประตู บานประตู และกำแพงถูกงัดพลิก; โถง เสารับชายคา และช่องหน้าต่างแตกพังย่อยยับ

Word by Word

• विक्षिप्य: having scattered
• विक्षिप्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having scattered/throwing’

• विक्षिप्य: again and again scattering
• विक्षिप्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पुनरुक्ति (repetition for intensity)

• जलस्य: of water
• जलस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• काल-अम्बुद-आभाः: dark-cloud-like
• काल-अम्बुद-आभाः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अम्बुद (प्रातिपदिक) + आभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying pramathāḥ)

• प्रमथाः: the Pramathas (Śiva’s attendants)
• प्रमथाः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• निनेदुः: roared, made a loud sound
• निनेदुः: क्रिया (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• उद्वर्तित-द्वारक-पाट-कुड्यम्: (a structure) whose door-panels and walls were overturned
• उद्वर्तित-द्वारक-पाट-कुड्यम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्वर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √वृत्/√वर्त् caus./PPP) + द्वारक (प्रातिपदिक) + पाट (प्रातिपदिक) + कुड्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying an implied object such as gṛham/veśma)

• विध्वस्त-शाला-वलभी-गवाक्षम्: with halls, roofs/valabhīs, and windows shattered
• विध्वस्त-शाला-वलभी-गवाक्षम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विध्वस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √ध्वंस्/√ध्वस् PPP) + शाला (प्रातिपदिक) + वलभी (प्रातिपदिक) + गवाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (same implied object)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Bhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga episode; this is the destructive irruption of Śiva’s gaṇas (pramathas) into a sacrificial/constructed space, a Purāṇic motif of yajña-vidhvaṃsa when dharma is distorted.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Pramathas

FAQs

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

The verse depicts Śiva’s Pramathas forcefully dismantling a worldly structure, symbolizing how the Lord’s grace and power shatter hardened ego-structures (pāśa) that bind the soul (paśu), clearing the way toward Śiva (Pati) and liberation.

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

Though the Liṅga is not named here, the Pramathas are extensions of Saguna Śiva’s active lordship in the world—showing that devotion to Śiva is not merely contemplative but invokes a transforming divine force that removes inner and outer impediments to dharma and worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is to seek obstacle-removal through Śiva-upāsanā—daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” accompanied by Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as reminders to let Śiva’s power break the bindings of pride, fear, and attachment.