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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8

शिवतत्त्वे परापरभावविचारः

Inquiry into Śiva’s Principle and the Parā–Aparā Paradox

निष्फलो हि स्वभावो ऽस्य परमः परमात्मनः । स एव सकलः कस्मात्स्वभावो ह्यविपर्ययः

niṣphalo hi svabhāvo 'sya paramaḥ paramātmanaḥ | sa eva sakalaḥ kasmātsvabhāvo hyaviparyayaḥ

สภาวะสูงสุดของปรมาตมันนี้เป็นอกรรมะและไร้ผล คือพ้นจากผลกรรม แล้วเหตุใดความจริงเดียวกันจึงถูกกล่าวว่าเป็น ‘สกล’—ปรากฏพร้อมส่วนและคุณลักษณะ? เพราะสภาวะของพระองค์เป็นอวิปริยายะ ไม่กลับกลายเป็นตรงข้าม

निष्फलःfruitless
निष्फलः:
Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिः-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपसर्ग/निपात-पूर्वपद (निः) + फल; विशेषण
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; अवधान/कारणसूचक (indeed)
स्वभावःnature/innate state
स्वभावः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
अस्यof this/of him
अस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
परमःsupreme
परमः:
Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्वभावस्य)
परमात्मनःof the Supreme Self
परमात्मनः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootपरम-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः: परमः आत्मा = परमात्मा (कर्मधारय)
सःhe/that
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
एवindeed/only
एव:
Avadharana (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; अवधारण (emphasis: just/indeed)
सकलःentire/complete
सकलः:
Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसकल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सः)
कस्मात्why/from what cause
कस्मात्:
Hetu-prashna (हेतु-प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formप्रश्नार्थक; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (from what?/why?)
स्वभावःnature
स्वभावः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; अवधान (indeed)
अविपर्ययःunchanging/not reversed
अविपर्ययः:
Karta-visheshana (कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअ-विपर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वपद; विशेषण (स्वभावस्य)

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya philosophical teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

S
Shiva

FAQs

It frames a core Shaiva Siddhanta insight: Shiva as Pati is intrinsically beyond karma and its fruits, yet can also be experienced as the manifest Lord for the sake of grace and liberation—without any real contradiction in His nature.

The verse explains why worship can validly address Shiva in a manifest, accessible form (sakala/saguṇa)—such as the Śiva-liṅga—while affirming that His highest reality remains actionless and transcendent (niṣphala, beyond karmic limitation).

Meditate on Shiva as both transcendent (formless, beyond results) and immanent (grace-filled Lord in the liṅga); support this with japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and steady dhyāna on the non-contradictory nature of Pati.