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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

शक्त्यादिसृष्टिनिरूपणम् / The Account of Creation Beginning with Śakti

गुणसाम्ये तदा तस्मिन्नविभागे तमोदये । शांतवातैकनीरे च न प्राज्ञायत किंचन

guṇasāmye tadā tasminnavibhāge tamodaye | śāṃtavātaikanīre ca na prājñāyata kiṃcana

ครั้นนั้นเมื่อคุณะทั้งหลายอยู่ในสมดุล—ไร้ความแบ่งแยกและความมืดครอบงำ—แม้ลมก็สงบ และทุกสิ่งเป็นผืนเดียวไม่แยกส่วน—ก็ไม่อาจหยั่งรู้สิ่งใดได้เลย

guṇa-sāmyein the equilibrium of the guṇas
guṇa-sāmye:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootguṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + sāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (guṇānāṃ sāmye); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
tadāthen
tadā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
tasminin that (state)
tasmin:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
avibhāgein non-differentiation, in undividedness
avibhāge:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Roota-vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
tama-udayeat the arising of tamas
tama-udaye:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Roottamas (प्रातिपदिक) + udaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (tamasya udaye); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
śānta-vāta-eka-nīrein the single expanse of water with stilled wind
śānta-vāta-eka-nīre:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootśānta (कृदन्त; √śam + क्त) + vāta (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + nīra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (śāntaḥ vātaḥ yasmin / śānta-vāta; eka-nīra ‘single water’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
prājñāyatawas known, was perceived
prājñāyata:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√jñā (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि-प्रयोगसदृश ‘was known/was perceived’
kiṃcanaanything (→ nothing)
kiṃcana:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootkiṃcana (सर्वनाम/अव्ययवत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; indefinite ‘anything’ (here with na → ‘nothing’)

Suta Goswami

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Cosmic Event: pre-creation indistinction: guṇa-sāmya, tamas-dominant obscuration, motionless ‘winds’

S
Shiva

FAQs

It points to the pre-manifest condition where prakṛti’s guṇas are balanced and no names or forms appear—highlighting that true discernment arises only when Shiva, the transcendent Pati, initiates manifestation and grants awareness beyond tamas.

The undifferentiated state described here contrasts with the manifest, worshipful revelation of Shiva as Liṅga—Saguna Shiva becomes the accessible focus through which devotees move from obscuration (tamas) to clarity, grace, and liberation.

A practical takeaway is inner stillness: meditate with the pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” letting the ‘winds’ of thought subside; this aligns the mind toward Shiva-consciousness beyond guṇic disturbance.